Troubled
by savannavansmutsmut
Summary: Troubled high school bad boy Edward is in love with college girl Bella. Will he find a way to make her forget his age and seduce her? Will she forget he's just a boy and give in? All Human and rated M for language
1. Chapter 1

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**If you've already read this story before, you'll want to read it again. My beta and good friend, Dollybigmomma, went over it and made some much-needed corrections, and then added almost 10,000 more words to it, making it an even more awesome read! Also, if you didn't review the first time, now is your chance to redeem yourselves with the review gods! =) **

**This story contains mention of violence against women, so if you're sensitive, be forewarned. It's not graphic, but it happens briefly in this first chapter. There's also child abuse mentioned in this story as well in a later chapter. Again, not graphic, but just mentioned. Just FYI if you're sensitive.**

**Thanks for re-visiting this story and we hope you enjoy it and remember to leave us some love!**

**Troubled by Savannavansmutsmut**

**Chapter 1 - Helper**

**Bella**

Where the hell was I now?

Driving around in the dark in a strange city in the middle of the night was not what I had signed up for on this trip. It was a little after three o'clock in the morning here in Vegas, and I had no earthly idea where the hell I was. My best friend and I were here on what was supposed to be a relaxing and fun vacation, but her stupid decisions had messed all that up and now I was driving around like a freaking mole in the dark trying to locate a needle in a haystack.

Fucking Rosalie!

How could she be so stupid? I couldn't believe she had done this. I knew she was smarter than this, but sometimes I wondered whether she used her brain or her twat more when it came to man-based decision making. Obviously, the twat had won out on this one. What the hell was she thinking, running off with some stranger? I just prayed she was alright and could hold out long enough for me to find her.

The directions she had given me were jumbled and rushed and I didn't even know the area. I was certain I was lost and on a wild goose chase after her crazy ass. When it came to men, sometimes her common sense was left in the dust by her lusty libido and I was afraid that one of these days, that was going to come back to bite her in the ass. Literally.

Without better directions and having no clue where the fuck I was in this godforsaken city, how the hell was I going to find her?

I pulled into the subdivision she had said, but I didn't see the road she had told me about as I made my way through the deserted streets. It was really dark tonight with no moon, and I was certain I would be reported to the police any moment for casing the neighborhood the way I was driving so slow, no doubt looking pretty suspicious.

I drove a little further and still found nothing. I was positive I was completely lost now. Fuck, how was I supposed to find her like this? I was starting to worry. She had sounded scared and winded when she called, like she had been running. I could hear a male voice shouting in the background and the guy sounded pissed off big time. There was no telling what she had gotten herself into now.

I saw a large guy in a black hoodie walking ahead, looking slightly bent over. He looked cold and defeated as he moved slowly down the sidewalk. Someone that had never been on a neighborhood watch would have thought he was a robber, but I could tell by the way he carried himself that he wasn't looking for anything but to get home.

I suddenly got a brilliant idea. If he lived in this neighborhood, maybe he could help me find the road I was looking for. It had to be better than me driving around all night without a clue and never getting to Rose.

I pulled up next to him and he backed up into the grass off the sidewalk surprised. I could tell he felt threatened by my car pulling up and I instantly felt guilty. It was pitch dark out and he no doubt thought that I was up to no good. I would think that, too, under the same circumstances.

I rolled my window down and apologized. "I'm so sorry, Sir. I didn't mean to startle you. I'm lost and I just need help finding my friend."

He looked at the minivan we had rented warily. "Where's your friend live?" he asked in a ragged breath.

"See, Sir, that's just the thing. She took off with some guy and then called me upset. She gave me rushed directions and now I'm lost, but I'm pretty sure this is the right subdivision."

"Alright, what did she say?"

I gave him the rushed directions and he nodded his head. "I know where that is. You're on the wrong side of the subdivision." He proceeded to give me the most confusing directions of my life.

My confusion must have shown because he stopped. "You're not getting this are you?"

I shook my head no. "I'm so sorry, I'm just really worried and I don't know this area at all."

He sighed, pushing back his hood to reveal his shocking bronze hair in disarray. "Do you really think your friend is in trouble?"

"She sounded so upset, and the longer this takes, the more freaked out I'm getting. I can't believe she just took off with a guy like that."

"Look, Ma'am, I don't know if you'd feel comfortable with it, but I'd be willing to ride with you to get to your friend. I kind of don't feel right sending you off to save her alone."

I knew he was a stranger, but he seemed kind enough. I didn't want to be stupid about this, though. "Do you have any weapons on you?" I asked.

He lifted his shirt a little and turned in a circle. "No, I don't."

"Do you mind if I pat you down?" I asked and he stepped back surprised. "My dad is the Chief of Police back home and I don't think he would be comfortable with me letting you in the car if I don't pat you down first."

He looked a little nervous, but then he nodded okay.

I took out my phone and clicked a quick picture of him and sent it to my email. "I just took your picture and sent it to my email, so if you try anything, I'll have a picture of you. You _will_ get caught," I threatened.

He nodded and smiled. "I'm glad you're smarter than your friend."

I stepped out of the van and he walked over to the hood. "Do you want me to spread 'em like they do on TV?"

"Um, no, I think I'll just do a pat down. You can just stand with your arms out."

He nodded and held his arms out.

When I first made contact with his skin, something powerful shot through me, taking me by surprise. His green eyes locked with mine for a moment and he shifted as if he was uncomfortable.

"Sorry," I whispered, not really sure what had just happened, but the feeling seemed to build as I ran my hands up his well-defined chest. I could feel the muscles ripple under my fingertips as I traced my hands up and over his shoulders and down his arms. I hadn't realized it, but by the time I was checking the edge of his jeans, we were both panting.

I moved my hands down and reaching around, found that his ass was tight, firm, and perfect. I found myself squeezing it and he groaned. The sound shot through me again and I had to fight to keep from moaning myself and sliding my hands forward.

"I think that's enough checking," he finally stopped me.

He was right. I wasn't check so much as fondling. I felt horrible, but I really didn't want to stop.

I blushed a deep red and released him. "I'm sorry. Go ahead and get in."

He nodded and moved to get into the passenger front seat. He pointed which direction I needed to go and we headed out. I watched him by the light of the dashboard, admiring his strong features, mesmerized by his deep voice when he spoke. He guided me smoothly through the subdivision, but he offered no more conversation. He scanned the streets warily, as if he were on guard and expecting trouble any minute. Before we had even made it to the address, he hopped out and went running in the direction of a house.

There was something in the yard I didn't see at first.

Suddenly, I saw him rip someone off the ground and started beating him up. It was then I realized that the other mass on the ground had Rosalie's blonde hair.

I parked in front of the house, quickly jumping out and running to Rose, wrapping my arms around her. "Rose! Rose, are you okay?"

She was sobbing in my arms.

"Come on; let's get you in the van."

She limped over to the van. I barely recognized her through all the blood. I was suddenly worried for the guy that was kind enough to help. "Wait here!" I called and ran to where they were still fighting.

The asshole suddenly got the upper hand and pinned my helper. I could not let that happen. I punched the guy's kidneys as hard as I could, remembering that they were a weak spot. He curled a little, but he didn't let my helper up. As he curled, he lifted just enough that I could rack him in the balls. I stepped back and punted as if I was hoping for a field goal. The jerk instantly released my helper, howling in pain.

My helper went after the jerk again, kicking him several times as I pulled on his arm. "Come on, let's get out of here," I called dragging him toward the van.

I was finally able to drag him away and shoved him in the van. I sped off, just trying to get away, not really knowing where I was going.

I noticed my helper was breathing hard. "Are you okay?"

He nodded yes. "Turn here," he pointed and then he directed me to another house. This one was much larger than the others in the neighborhood. It was gated as well. He pointed to the intercom button and I pushed it.

"Hello?" a voice came through.

"Dr. Cullen? It's Edward," he gasped.

"I'll meet you out front," this Dr. Cullen said in a worried voice. The gate started opening and I followed the driveway up to a huge house.

When I pulled up, the man whom I assumed was the doctor pulled Edward's door open. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I think I have a few broken ribs, it hurts to breathe. There's a girl hurt, too," he nodded in Rosalie's direction.

"Emmett!" the doctor yelled and a huge man came running out. He was only wearing pajama bottoms, but that didn't slow him. "Get the girl in the back and take her to the first exam room." He turned to a beautiful caramel-haired woman, "Esme, would you please check her over?"

"Of course, dear," she answered following Emmett.

I hopped out of the van. I was not leaving my friend again. I followed after them, glancing back at my helper. Edward was his name. I would have to remember to thank him. Not only did he save my friend and take a beating, he knew where to get help fast.

Esme rushed after Emmett, who was carrying Rose into the house. To my surprise, he didn't leave. He stood back and looked sincerely worried as Esme started to clean Rosalie up as best she could. I could see where Rose had broken all her nails fighting. Her fingers were all bloody and a few were swollen. She must have done some real damage. Her face was starting to bruise and swell, and her clothes were all ripped and stained. She'd had some real damage done to her as well.

This vacation was turning out to be a trip to hell for sure.

**A/N: I got inspired as I watched someone walking to a bus stop. I hope you'll enjoy this story, as I'm not sure where it's going yet!**


	2. Chapter 2

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Chapter 2 - Just a Boy**

**Bella**

I followed Esme and Emmett into an exam room and Esme turned to Emmett, "Son, we're going to need ice, lots of it. And can you bring a set of my scrubs for her, too, please?"

Emmett nodded and ran from the room. I turned and looked at Esme worried. "What's her name?" she asked.

"Rose. Rosalie Hale," I answered.

"Rose, my name is Esme, I'm a doctor and I need to examine you, okay? Can I please check your stomach for internal bleeding?"

Rose's stunned eyes landed on me and I rushed to her side and took her hand. She relaxed a little and Esme lifted her shirt and touched her stomach gently.

"Does it hurt anywhere, dear?"

"No, just my hands and my face," she said a little mumbled from her swelling.

"Does it hurt anywhere else, dear? I need to know." Esme looked like the perfect concerned mother.

"Yes, my legs," Rose finally confessed and started sobbing. I hugged her to me.

Esme locked the door and walked back over to us. "Were you raped?" Esme asked gently and I squeezed Rose, hoping the answer was no.

She shook her head no slightly and I let out a sigh of relief.

"That guy grabbed him off of me before he could…" she choked out and sobbed harder.

Oh, thank god for Edward.

Esme smiled softly. "Okay, do you mind if I check you out?"

Rose nodded that it was okay and I tried to hold back my rage when Esme slowly lifted Rose's dress and uncovered the huge bruises on her inner thighs. They were hand shaped and obvious. I could see tears well up in Esme's eyes. She covered Rose up and then hugged her. "I'm so sorry, honey," she whispered softly.

I heard a knock on the door.

"That's probably Emmett with the ice and clothes," Esme nodded for me to answer the door.

She was right. Emmett stood eager and worried. When he saw Esme's teary expression as she comforted Rose, I could swear I saw his lip quiver. This monster of a man really was just a huge teddy bear.

"Is she going to be alright?" he asked a little panicked.

Esme gave him a soft smile. "Yes, dear, she'll be fine with time."

He let out a sigh of relief, bringing the ice and scrubs forward, but he kept watching Rose's face carefully so he wouldn't scare her. He stepped out long enough for her to change, but when he came back in, her eyes never left him as he moved around the room, handing Esme what she asked him for as they bandaged Rose's hands and face.

Once Esme was done with Rose, she turned to Emmett, "How's Edward?" she asked.

There was a small pout on his face. "Not good. He was right about the ribs," Emmett said scratching the back of his neck. "He was beaten up pretty badly this time. Unfortunately, I think stopping to save the girls didn't help his injuries any."

My heart stopped. He was already beaten up before? Was he coming to the doctor for help and I took him to get hurt even more? I felt like I was going to be sick.

My face suddenly felt wet and I couldn't breathe. Esme turned to me and took me in her arms. "Emmett, go get the guestrooms ready. I think the girls are too upset to travel right now."

"Sure thing, Mom," he said running out the door.

"What's your name, dear?" she asked me kindly.

"Bella, Bella Swan," I choked through my tears. "I didn't know he was hurt. I wouldn't have asked him to help me had I known. I feel horrible about this."

"Oh, honey, Edward's a tough boy, he'll be alright." She squeezed me tightly and it felt good. She kissed my forehead and then turned to Rose, "Can you walk, dear?"

Rose nodded yes and we both went to her sides to help her off the exam table.

"Mom!" we heard Emmett shout, "Dad needs you in the O-R now!"

Esme took off running and my heart dropped. Edward was the only other person hurt. I started bawling harder as Rose and I clung to each other, waiting for further word on Edward's condition. He just had to be alright. I didn't think I could live with myself if he wasn't. We sank to the floor together and Rose cried herself to sleep as I sat awake, whimpering softly to myself while rocking her in my arms.

Eventually, Emmett returned looking worried again, but he didn't enter the room. He stood back in the doorway as if he was approaching a scared animal. "Um, I have your rooms ready." His eyes darted to Rose. "Do you want to share tonight? I think it might help her rest," he pointed to Rose's sleeping form in my arms.

I nodded yes.

"Um, do you mind if I help you with her?" he asked carefully, as if he was sure I would say no.

"Yes, please," I said trying to shift her off of me.

He hurried forward and picked her up easily as if she was a feather. "This way," he said and I followed because I didn't know what else to do.

He led us upstairs and I couldn't help but gape at the beauty of the house. It was massive. He finally came to an open door. The room was huge and so was the bed. I ran forward and pulled down the covers so he could put Rose down. He set her down so gently I was sure he thought she would break. I moved around him and pulled off her shoes as he brushed back her hair from her face. The look on his face was tortured. It was as if he was in physical pain to see Rose hurt. He tenderly pulled the covers up over her, tucking them gently around her shoulders. He really was such a sweet man.

"Thank you, Emmett," I said softly and he jumped back a little as if he was caught doing something wrong.

"Is there anything you need? I can get you guys anything you want, just tell me what it is," he said eagerly but quietly so as not to wake Rose.

"We should be fine, but there is one thing I want to know. How is Edward?" I asked worried.

Emmett shifted and shrugged. "It wasn't looking too good for a while, but I think they got him stabilized. He was bleeding internally pretty bad."

"I'd like to see him when he's better. He will be better, right?" I asked with panic in my voice.

"He's a fighter, I don't think what happened tonight will slow him down. It never does."

It never did? It sounded like this wasn't the first time Edward had needed medical attention and that bothered me. He seemed like such a good person. I couldn't imagine why he would be getting injured so badly on a regular basis.

"Don't worry, he's a tough kid," Emmett said, noticing my concern.

Esme had called him a boy and Emmett called him a kid. I was suddenly panicking that I'd groped a child. "Emmett?" I stopped him as he walked to the door, "How old is Edward?"

He frowned a little. "Fifteen, almost sixteen I think."

I gasped and he patted my shoulder. "I know. He looks older, but he's just a kid still. But don't worry too much. He'll be fine, Miss. As I said, he's a tough kid."

Kid was right. He was just a little boy.

**Edward**

I was startled when the minivan pulled up next to me. I didn't know who would be insane enough to stop and talk to a stranger this time of night unless they planned on harming said stranger. Imagine my surprise when a beautiful brown-eyed girl asked me for help. Her eyes were soft and worried, though her words were tempered in false anger toward her friend. It was obvious she loved this friend she was worried about and wanted to help her.

I tried to give her directions while keeping my distance, still wary of the tinted windows of the van, but I could tell by the look on her face that she was not getting any of it.

The house she was trying to get to was actually closer to the Cullen's so I offered her my help, figuring it would get me to my destination faster and I could keep an eye on this beautiful girl who was careless enough to talk to strangers.

I was a little surprised when she clicked off a picture of me on her phone and told me that she had it in her email and told me I better not try anything. I wanted to laugh at her because I was in no position to do much at the moment. I was sure a couple of my ribs were broken and any more confrontations would surely result in a punctured lung.

She told me she wanted to pat me down for weapons. I held back my laugh and held out my arms as requested. I was not prepared for what happened next.

Her hands came in contact with my body and I felt like a live wire had been attached to me. Every part of my body was fully aware of hers. I had never felt anything like it in my life. I tried to rein in the feeling as she moved down to my waist, but then I noticed as her fingers trailed along the edge of my pants that she was breathing roughly.

Her hands reached around to my ass and my eyes locked on hers. I was a little surprised when she outright squeezed my ass. I nearly came in my pants like the stupid teenage boy I was. I had to stop her before I did something stupid.

She told me to get in and as I walked around the front of the car, I checked the plate. It was a rental car; she was from out of town.

Fuck my life.

Of course the one girl that ever set my body on fire would be from out of town and most likely much older than me. Didn't you have to be like twenty-five to rent a car? I gave her directions to the house and kept silent, not wanting to make what I was feeling any worse.

As she started to slow the vehicle, I saw a man hovering over a girl. He was pawing at her legs and she was fighting with all her might. Before I even registered what I was doing, I was out of the car and on top of the man, pinning him to the ground and beating the fuck out of the sick bastard. Of course, my already beaten body gave him the upper hand. He saw me flinch when he thumped my ribs and took advantage of it. I felt the ribs collapse and pierce through my lung.

Fuck, this was a horrible night.

Suddenly, the man was off of me and the beautiful brown-eyed angel was pulling me from the ground, dragging me to the car. She shoved me in and we sped away before the asshole could come after us. She was shaken up, but she asked if I was okay. She looked scared and I wanted to take that panicked look from her face. I gave her directions to the Cullen's and she seemed relieved when I addressed Dr. Cullen at the gate. I was relieved when Esme took them off to be cared for. Esme was the mother I wished I had and I knew she would care for them as if they were her own children.

Dr. Cullen helped me inside, trying to assess me as we moved. I was having a really hard time breathing now for sure. I finally got out that my rib was in my lung and he quickly scooped me up in his arms and ran me into their backroom OR.

He smiled kindly as he gassed me I knew he would take away the pain and when I woke up everything would be better. At least for a little while.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyers**

**Chapter 3 - Picture**

**Bella**

I didn't sleep much that night. I stayed awake worrying about Edward, hoping that he would be okay. I flipped open my phone and looked at the picture I had taken of him. What I couldn't see in the dark of night, the flash had illuminated.

His eyes were dark with deep worry circles beneath them. I could see a bluish mark on his jaw and around his eye. There were red marks on his neck and scratches that looked like fingernail marks. He had a busted, swollen lip and dried blood beneath his nose His arms clutched his body and I was worried his ribs had already been broken before the fight. I realized they probably were. His nose looked slightly swollen and it looked like he'd tried to clean up some before he left for Dr. Cullen's home. Whoever had done this to him deserved the same.

My heart broke a little. How could I have not seen this? How did I miss that this troubled boy was so broken?

There was a light knock on the door.

"Come in," I said softly hoping not to wake Rose.

Esme came in smiling but looking disheveled. "Ladies, there's a police officer here that would like to speak with you."

I looked down at my attire. My clothes were wrinkled and bloodstained. Rose had changed, but her clothes had been torn and stained as well. I figured they may need them for evidence.

"Can you send them up? I don't want to leave Rose."

"That'll be fine, dear," Esme said and quickly left.

When she returned, she seemed to be wearing a smug look and both of the officers seemed shocked. Did they think she had lied about us? What was their deal?

"Hello, I'm Detective Caius and this is my partner, Detective Marcus. It looks like you girls have been put through the wringer tonight. Do you mind telling us your side of the story?"

"My side?"

"Yes, Royce King has filed a complaint against the three of you."

"WHAT! Please don't tell me that's the name of the bastard that tried to rape my friend last night. If it is, I didn't kick him in the balls hard enough!"

Marcus looked at Caius worried while Caius just smirked. "If that's the case, Ma'am, I need you to file a report against him. It'll hopefully pressure him to drop his charges."

"You bet we're filing against that dirty bastard!" I felt Rose stir next to me and I hoped she would be strong enough to do this.

"Do you mind if we sit?" he motioned to a club chair and loveseat in the corner of the massive room.

I wiggled out of bed and made my way to the chair. I glanced back at Rose to make sure she was still sleeping.

"Whose blood is that?" Marcus asked pointing at my shirt.

I frowned remembering the state in which I had found my friend. "It's Rose's blood. She was beaten up pretty badly by that animal."

The detectives looked at each other. "We'll probably need your clothes and hers for evidence."

I nodded in agreement, guessing as much.

"Could you please tell us what happened?" Detective Caius asked gently. I think he was getting that we were the victims, not Royce King.

I pointed over my shoulder to Rose's sleeping form. "My friend, Rose, she met this guy and went to his house. I told her it wasn't a good idea, but she insisted she would be fine. Anyway, a few hours later, I got a call from her all panicked. She asked me to come and pick her up and she gave me these rushed directions and then hung up.

"Of course, I hopped in the rental car and took off to find her, but I couldn't. I got lost and I saw this guy walking and so I stopped and asked him for help. I'm really starting to freak out about Rose by this time and I can't make heads or tails of his directions so he offers to ride with me to get my friend. I wanted to be safe so I took his picture and patted him down, checking for weapons."

One of the officers put his hand up. "Do you have a copy of that picture?"

"Yeah, it's still on my phone, do you want me to email it to you?" I asked.

They looked at each other and nodded yes. One of them passed me their card and I quickly pulled up the picture and emailed it to the detectives.

"Please continue with your story, Miss Swan," Detective Marcus asked.

"So, Edward gets in the car and gives me directions to the house Rose is at, except we see something in a front yard a few doors down. I wasn't able to make it out right away, but Edward could. He jumped out of the car and pulled this guy off of Rose. I parked, ran up, and got Rose out of there. She's crying and covered in blood. I almost didn't recognize her," I said softly.

I glanced back to make sure she was still asleep.

I was fighting back tears. "I got her to the car and looked back to see the asshole that attacked Rose had the upper hand on the guy that helped us so I ran over to help him. I punched the jerk in the kidneys and he moved enough so I could kick him in the balls. Once I did that, he finally let go of Edward. I grabbed Edward's arm and pulled him out of the yard and we took off before the asshole could attack us again."

"How did you end up here?" Detective Caius asked.

"Edward gave me directions. I followed them because he didn't look like he was doing that well. He was breathing hard so I brought him here and I was relieved to find out it was a doctor's house because they both really needed a doctor really bad."

"Alright, thank you, Ms. Swan." The pair stood and left the room.

Esme came in moments later smiling. "Bella, dear, did you say you had a picture of Edward before the fight?"

I didn't understand what the interest was in the picture, but I nodded yes, fetching my phone.

"How is he? Will he be alright?" I asked worried.

She put an arm around me. "Yes, and he'll be waking up soon. You could say hello if you'd like."

"I wouldn't want to disturb his family." I wanted to see him, but I didn't want to see a mother crying over her baby boy.

I was surprised when Esme hugged me, smiling sadly. "Dear, he doesn't have a family."

I pulled up the picture of Edward and handed my phone to Esme. She looked at it and tears filled her eyes and she shook her head. "This had better work this time."

I didn't understand what she meant by that, but I decided I wanted to see Edward. Someone should be with him when he woke.

Esme took me to Edward's room and I sat quietly by his bed. It had been a long night and I hadn't rested well. Before I knew it, I was dozing off with my head on the side of his bed.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 4 – Stirring the Feelings Pot**

**Bella**

I wasn't sure when I had fallen asleep in Edward's room, but I started to stir as warm tingles ran up my cheek and down my neck. Something soothing moved across my scalp. The tingling moved back to my cheek and I found myself leaning into the warm safe feeling there.

I wanted it.

I needed it.

My hand came up to hold it in place and I was surprised to find it was a hand. I blinked my eyes open to see a pair of vivid green eyes smiling down at me.

"Hey," he said his throat rough. He coughed a little and I jumped up, getting him a drink.

"Don't talk, just drink this." I moved carefully up his bed and held the straw to his lips. I suddenly realized I was staring at them and my eyes darted to his. They were looking at mine.

I swallowed hard.

"I didn't get a chance to thank you for helping me and Rose. You didn't have to, but I'm glad you did. I don't know if I could have gotten her out of there on my own."

He smiled at me, a perfect, beautifully crooked smile. "Thanks for the ride to the Cullen's."

"Believe me, after what I put you through, I owe you more than a ride."

To my surprise, his hand slid to my thigh and squeezed. Damn, that felt good; tingles went straight to my girly bits.

I jumped up off of the bed, surprised at my reaction to him. He might have been a kid, but he sure as hell wasn't acting like it. Or maybe he was.

His expression was innocent enough.

"You okay?" he asked and he actually sounded sincerely concerned.

"Um, yeah, I guess I'm still a little shook up about the whole mess." I was trying, and failing miserably, to ignore the fact that a kid was turning me on big time.

Hey, don't judge; he wasn't wearing a shirt and the smattering of chest hair I could see looked damned sexy. He had his chest wrapped, but it was obvious the boy was seriously ripped. He may have only been fifteen, but he was already quite large and built like a grown man; full, heavily muscular, and tall. At this rate, he was going to be massive and built like a Michelangelo-inspired deity by the time he was done growing. I quickly looked away so I would stop staring and before I started drooling.

"So anyway, I owe you," I said heading toward the door.

"You're from out of town," he stated. It wasn't a question.

"Yeah, I'm from Phoenix, Arizona. Rose and I go to ASU," I offered nervously trying to point out I was too old for him.

"That's cool. Isn't ASU known as a party school?" he asked.

I shifted uncomfortably; I was not a party person. "Um, yeah, actually it is, but I just go there because it's the closest university to my mom. Rose, on the other hand, wanted to party. I think after last night, though, things might change. Maybe I'll move up to Seattle by my dad if she wants to get away from the desert."

"Your dad lives in Seattle?" he asked.

"No, just a little town called Forks; it's a few hours south of it. UW is in Seattle," I said and then realized I was giving this kid way too much information.

"Cool, what are you going to school for?" he asked.

I decided that he'd asked me too many questions already. "How about you tell me about you instead?"

He shrugged. "Nothing to tell."

"Okay, well, how did you meet the Cullen's?" I asked thinking it was a safe question. He looked away and shook his head. "That isn't a good story. Just talk to me about anything else, please." There was such a sad pleading look in his eyes that I decided to appease him.

"Do you want to know why we rented a minivan on our vacation?"

He nodded yes.

"Rose. She's a clothes freak. She has clothes for different times of day; it's insane. She paid extra to have four suitcases on the plane. I only had one for a week and she complained because I wasn't taking enough. I think I brought everything I own," I laughed. "Anyway, you can't fit five suitcases in a sports car, so we rented a minivan. It was cheaper than the SUV and had better gas mileage."

"That makes sense. If you didn't have luggage, what would you drive?"

I smiled. I knew my answer. "I have a truck up at my dad's place. It is a big old red '53 Chevy and I love the beast. If given the choice, I would drive it."

"Really? Why don't you have it in Arizona?"

I shrugged. "I couldn't fit it in my suitcase."

"You could borrow one of Rose's," he teased and I laughed. He was a funny kid. I had to remember this gorgeous guy was just a boy, a very troubled boy.

"I don't think it could make the drive down here. It can't go over fifty which is fine in a small town where all the speed limits are thirty-five, but in the big city, if you go anywhere, it's usually doing sixty-five on a freeway."

"So what do you drive in Arizona?"

I laughed because I didn't have a car. "The bus. Okay, I don't drive it, but I ride it. I live in the dorms and all my classes are just a walk away so I don't really need one. My mom comes to pick me up if she wants me to visit her."

"That's cool; I'm down with the bus."

"You're _**down**_ with the bus? What are you, fifty?" I joked at him pulling some weird 60's slang.

"No, I'm fifteen, almost sixteen. How old are you?"

"I just turned nineteen," I offered nervously.

"Huh, that isn't too bad. You could have been ninety."

"Ninety! Do I look ninety?"

"No, you look very not ninety, but you know," he shrugged and I wondered what he was thinking.

Did he think I was old? Why did it bug me so much that I thought he thought I was old?

"When is your birthday?" he asked.

"September 13th," I offered.

"Cool, mine is June 20th."

It was winter break, he would be sixteen soon I reasoned, but then I pushed that thought away. He was still in high school so he was completely out of my reach. He may have looked mature, but he was still under aged. Looking at him lying there, however, it was hard to convince my girly bits that he was off limits. I should have been ashamed of myself for thinking about him the way I was. I had no business drooling over him like that. He was just a good, sweet boy and I needed to leave before I became a child molester.

**Edward**

Coming to, I was a little surprised to see a head of soft brown hair resting on the edge of my bed. I hoped I didn't worry her too much. As she slept, I was able to examine her soft features freely, but it wasn't long before I realized I wanted to touch her again and see if what I had felt last night was just a fluke.

I gently traced the soft graceful column of her neck and imagined myself nuzzling in and kissing it. My hand traced up to her cheek, reveling in the soft feel of her skin on my fingertips. Her hair was a mess, but it shined in the dim light. I knew it would be soft as satin and I couldn't resist as my fingers wound through her hair.

She was perfect.

The soft light accentuated the feminine features of her face as the current flowed through my fingertips, setting alight my body. I didn't understand this effect she had on me. I had never felt it before, and I thought myself a naïve child for wanting her so badly, so instantly. I didn't understand my draw to her, just that I wanted her more than anything else in the world. She nuzzled into my touch and I knew she felt the current as well. She was drawn to it as strongly as I was and I knew no matter what, she would be mine someday.

When she awoke, she seemed uneasy around me. She was staring at my lips for a moment and I wondered if she was interested in me the way I was in her. I started asking her about herself, wanting to memorize every little fact about her she would give me. She started to ask me about myself, but I quickly deflected. She didn't want to know me, not really. I didn't want her to feel sorry for me. I begged her to continue talking as I pushed the memory of my first meeting with the Cullen's out of my head.

She went on talking about herself and her friend, Rose. I was relieved to find out she was only nineteen. If she had been twenty-five, she would have had a whole decade on me and it would have been too difficult to woo her. Nineteen wasn't so bad. Besides, I would be sixteen soon.

Whom was I kidding? She was in college and lived out of state. I was in high school and was a ward of the state. She donned an odd confused look on her face and quickly said goodbye. I knew I would probably never see her again, but I would definitely never forget her.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 5 – Change**

**Edward**

My life changed dramatically after that night.

Because of the picture taken by Bella, Esme and Carlisle were able to gain custody of my sister and me. It took a year, but they were finally able to push the adoption through. They were nervous about staying in the area, so a family meeting was held to come up with ideas of where to move. I asked if we could maybe move to Washington State.

I remembered what Bella had said about moving to Washington. I knew I had to do a little more research, but I remembered she had said her dad was Chief of Police and she was from a small town called Forks. Funny name Forks, I couldn't help but snicker as I wondered if there were a Spoons and Knives close by.

A quick search later and I was able to find a Charles Swan of Forks, Washington. I called the police station and asked for the name of the Chief of Police and it was confirmed, Chief Swan lived in Forks, Washington and was most likely Bella's father.

She would have to visit Forks at some point and then maybe, just maybe, I would get to see her again.

When we reconvened, I requested that we move to Forks and to my surprise, Carlisle had done some research when I'd asked to move to that state and had a list of hospital openings, including one for a surgeon at Forks hospital.

Alice still was too nervous to speak up, but I knew a change of scenery would be good for her.

I knew the Cullen's were well off, but I wondered if they would be able to up and move their establishment so easily. Their home was essentially a giant hospital used for complex procedures that could not be done in third world countries. Having an OR in their home to provide such care cut out the extra costs, so they were able to fund more operations with less money.

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised by their compassion and interest in my sister, Alice, and me. Their kindness made me nervous, not trusting them at first, but after a year or so of being able to rely on them for help, I was relieved to find out that they were trying to adopt us. We couldn't have asked for better, more loving people to take us in, and we both adored them as well.

Unwittingly, Bella was the reason the adoption would go through. That picture was the final piece of evidence that was needed to cement us being removed from that monster that had been so evil to us and be placed in the care of the Cullen's permanently.

Alice was still getting used to our new life. She hadn't met the Cullen's before the adoption, but she trusted me when I told her she was safe. She still preferred to sleep next to me. I didn't blame her after what we had been through. I still didn't sleep well alone, either. Suffice it to say, we had both learned to sleep with one eye open.

Thankfully, the Cullen's were very understanding and didn't try and separate us. That went a long way with Alice in gaining her trust. Esme was understanding and patient with her, and Alice thrived on Esme's love and Carlisle's kind, calm demeanor. I had to admit; so did I.

**Bella**

I stuck with Rosalie through the trial. We were able to put Royce behind bars where he belonged. Because Edward was a minor, he was able to submit his statement on paper and not appear in court. I was glad he didn't have to go through the mess that was our trial, but I was a little disappointed that I wasn't able to see him again.

I was so going to hell for being a child molester. Okay, maybe I was not one, but when it came to that poor innocent boy, I wanted to be one. He brought out something in me that even I didn't quite understand.

Rose and I took the spring semester off and did some soul searching, re-evaluating our choice of school and location. After some talking, crying, and a few pints of ice cream, I convinced Rose that moving to Washington and far away from Vegas was the best choice for us both to finally get some peace. It took less convincing that I would have thought, seeing as how Rose loved the nightlife and the glitz and glamour of Vegas, but I could tell that her ordeal had put a bit of tarnish on the Vegas sparkle in her eyes, so we packed up and headed north for the cold, green, and rain, leaving the warm brown heat behind.

We were in Seattle registering for the fall semester. My dad let me use his address to get in-state tuition, as long as I promised to come visit him occasionally.

He was thrilled when I told him that was my plan.

The first year there seemed to go smoothly. Rose seemed quieter than usual, but I figured that was normal after what had happened. She got into counseling and was encouraged to take a self-defense course, so we both took kick boxing along with self-defense, and Rose took up karate. Rose was a natural and kicked major ass, taking out her frustrations therapeutically on the guys who dared to go up against her. She was well on her way to becoming a black belt at the rate she was going. Needless to say, none of them had the balls to ask her out after she had handed them back to their owners, which seemed fine with her. She still didn't date, but she was starting to open up again a little when someone did try to talk to her.

There was one weekend left before classes started our second year in Seattle. We decided to drive down to Forks to spend it with my dad.

Rose was bugging me to finally get to meet the famous silent Charlie. She didn't believe a man could carry on a conversation with little to no words. She had always been annoyed with my minimal comments on things and when I informed her that I took after my father, she didn't believe anyone could be as quiet as me.

I bounced up the steps, taking them two at a time and the door opened before I could reach it.

Charlie stood there with a wide smile and quickly took me in his arms, squeezing me tight. I knew this was his 'I missed you and I love you.'

I kissed his cheek and told him I was making him dinner and he smiled. I introduced Rose to him and he smiled and nodded in her direction. I smirked because he hadn't said two words yet.

He followed me into the kitchen and I looked in his refrigerator as he scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Dad! What on earth have you been eating? The only thing in here is beer and ketchup!"

He shrugged his answer at me.

I went to the grocery money can on the top of the refrigerator and pulled out the cash. "I'm going to the grocery store. You, Sir, will clear the table so we can sit and eat like a proper family," I said pointing to the newspaper-covered kitchen table.

He nodded and I kissed his cheek as I slipped out the door.

"Damn, Bella, he makes you look downright chatty," Rosalie laughed.

"Oh, he talks just fine, actually. It's just that people who know him well understand him without him having to say much. He's more of a listener and observer, which can be damned annoying when you're trying to get away with something," I grinned.

She just burst out laughing.

**Edward**

Forks high school sucked.

We had only been attending three days and Carlisle had somehow managed to get mine and Alice's classes all together. Thank god we were twins, I didn't know what we would have done if she had been a grade below me.

Of course, the fact that she was terrified and I would growl at any boy who would look at her started all sorts of sick rumors about us.

Thankfully, she had warmed up to Emmett, so when he came and picked us up after school on Friday, the whole school saw her hug him and he effectively growled at a few boys himself.

I loved Emmett.

He wasn't our biological brother, but he didn't see it that way. I knew he would tear apart any bastard that threatened Alice and she took comfort in that.

He talked us into going to Port Angeles for a movie on Saturday to take our minds off things. He didn't realize a few stupid kids were nothing compared to what we were used to dealing with. It sucked, but it was still a cake walk compared to our old group home.

I stood with Alice outside the theatre while Emmett went up to buy our tickets. Three assholes from school surrounded Alice and I. I pushed her behind my back a little just in case I had to beat them down. I felt her familiar shiver of fear.

I whispered, "Don't worry, Alice, they're nothing. I can take them if I need to."

I felt her nod; she knew I had dealt with worse.

The problem was one of the assholes heard what I said and saw it as a challenge.

"You think you can take us?" Mike Newton asked thumping his chest and looking to his cronies, Tyler and Eric, for back up.

I just sighed annoyed in response.

"How about this? We beat your ass and then we get to tap that tight little ass hiding behind you?"

I growled in response. "No one touches Alice," I said in a low threatening tone.

They laughed.

"No one but you, huh, incest boy? Well, I think it's time for that to change," Mike said and he stepped forward to attack.

The asshole was an idiot for announcing his attack. I took him down fast, hitting his gut then face, and then busting his nose. Eric was the next one to come at me. I snapped his arm and stomped his ribs, cracking them soundly, leaving a shaking Tyler standing there looking at me shocked.

"Nobody touches my sister," I said shoving him to the ground in warning, daring him to try and fight me. Tyler just nodded and started scooting back.

I heard someone call my name.

"Edward?" I looked up and realized people were standing around watching the fight. "Edward!"

It was Emmett.

He pushed through the crowd and snarled at the jerks on the ground. He wrapped his arm around Alice and I followed behind them. The crowd started to disperse, leaving the idiots on the ground dumbfounded.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and reacted on instinct, spinning around and pinning it to their back, ready to break it. It was then I realized my arm was covered in long, soft brown hair.

I had just hurt a girl.

I quickly released her, apologizing and trying to hold myself together. I had to get out of there. I felt like I was going to hurl at the realization of what I had done. I never wanted to hurt a girl.

Oh, God, what kind of animal had I become?

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 6 - Found You**

**(For those who are wondering, Edward is now 17 and Bella is 20, only a few days away from turning 21)**

**Bella**

Rose and I decided to go to the theatre in Port Angeles since my dad was called into work. When we pulled up, I noticed a crowd starting to gather around something. We parked and hurried forward curious.

What I saw shocked the hell out of me.

Edward, my Edward, the boy I couldn't get out of my head that drove me to shame, was being confronted by three jerks.

I tried to fight my way through the crowd so I could break it up, but before I could get through, one of the kids came at Edward and he had him to the ground and was kicking him to the side before I could even blink. We all heard the sickening crack of bones as the second boy attacked and the third one wised up and backed off. It was then I noticed the tiny girl cowering behind Edward.

He had called her his sister and the sick side of me silently rejoiced that she wasn't his girlfriend.

I saw a giant man step forward, easily parting the crowd and taking the little girl into his arms. He made a path for them, splitting the crowd as they walked away from the scene.

Emmett.

Oh, my god, that had to be Emmett.

I wasn't hallucinating, that really was Edward, it had to be!

Before it even registered in my brain what I was doing, I was chasing after him and quickly grabbed his shoulder. He had my arm pinned to my back and I mentally kicked myself for startling him just after a fight.

I heard him gasp, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

I turned to see a tear fall from his eyes that were focused on the sidewalk in shame. I stepped forward to wrap my arms around him to hug him, to tell him it was okay. Beautiful boys shouldn't cry, but he turned and ran before I could get a word out.

He refused to even look at me.

I doubted he would have even remembered me anyway. My heart broke a little as he disappeared through the trees.

I heard someone say, "Damn it!" and turned to see a frustrated Emmett watching Edward disappear into the woods.

"Emmett, do you want me to go after him?" I asked.

He turned and looked at me. It took a minute, but as Rosalie took her place at my side, recognition set in. "Bella? Rose?"

I nodded. "Do you want me to go after Edward for you?"

He looked at the forest and then sadly at the little girl next to him. His brow furrowed. "Can you guys keep an eye on Alice?"

"Of course," I offered.

As I spoke, the little girl gripped Emmett's arm tightly. He leaned down, "It's okay, Alice, they're friends. This is Bella, remember? She's the one that took the picture that saved you and Edward. She's cool."

Her eyes shot to mine and she gave me a watery smile.

I quickly enveloped her in a hug, feeling drawn to her and overcome with the urge to protect her. I didn't realize what all the excitement was over the picture I had taken of Edward with my phone at the time, but hearing that confirmed that it had been important.

"I've got you, Alice; you don't have to worry with me and Rose around, we're scrappy," I said with a smile.

Rose put her arm around us. "We've got your back, little girl, nobody messes with us."

**Edward**

I ran.

It was what I did whenever I needed to clear my head. Unfortunately, that was pretty often.

There was no open land here, though, so I didn't run far. Dodging around trees was just getting annoying and I started to question my sanity for moving to this godforsaken shit hole in search of a girl that was not interested in me.

I fell to my knees and bowed my head, feeling defeated.

I had hurt a girl.

That was something I swore I would never do.

My heart was pounding so hard it filled my ears, so I didn't hear when my brother found me.

I opened my eyes to a pair of shoes and looked up to see a worried Emmett. "Hey, bro, you done with your quiet time yet?"

Quiet time was what Esme would call it when I would get upset. It was her way of letting the others know I needed my space. Many had learned the hard way that not giving me time when I needed it ended badly.

"I'm sure Alice is freaking out by now."

My eyes shot up to him and I jumped to my feet, wondering where the hell he had left my sister.

"Where is she?" I demanded.

"She's safe, man. I didn't leave her alone."

"Who the hell did you leave her with? What the fuck were you thinking?" I yelled as I ran in the direction of my sister. Stupid fucker should have known better than to leave her alone!

I burst out of the woods next to the theatre and scanned the crowd looking for my little Alice. I was sure she would be a mess, a quivering ball of frightened tears. She hated being around strangers and was sure to lose it without me there.

I was shocked when I finally spotted her. I had actually looked past her twice, not recognizing her as she laughed with two other girls and I wondered who the hell they were. I couldn't see their faces because their backs were to me. I stood shocked watching her smile and talk with them, just wanting to watch her be relaxed and normal in public. I couldn't even remember the last time she had smiled like that at someone other than family.

I felt Emmett's big hand on my shoulder. "See, bro, I told you she would be fine. Come on; let's not leave the girls waiting."

I let Emmett walk ahead of me and watched as the girls got up to greet him. As they stood up and turned toward him, that was when I saw her and my breath caught.

Bella.

God, she was so beautiful, even more beautiful than I remembered. Then her eyes found mine and she smiled and waved me over. Alice saw her action and smiled brightly at me, almost looking as perky as she did before our mom died. I couldn't help but smile in return.

"Edward, Bella and Rose are going to join us for the movie!" she squeaked excitedly, "And then Emmett said we could go shopping! He thinks it's time we break in our credit cards. Rose said she saw the perfect shoes to match my bag," she said almost giddy. There was no way I was going to rain on her parade by telling her shopping sucked and she could go without me. I would tag along and hope that just maybe Bella would, too.

**Bella**

We decided to join them for a movie. Rose seemed quite taken with Emmett and I didn't mind encouraging the match since he was so sweet and attentive before. I couldn't wish a sweeter man for my friend and the way he looked after Edward and Alice just proved my point.

Rose slipped into the aisle of the theatre first, followed by Emmett and then Alice, who was flanked by Edward, leaving me to sit next to the boy who would surely send me to the devil.

I had looked over his body in the dim light. He had a smudge of blood on his fist and knee, but I was sure it was not his own. He had grown a lot since I had seen him last, looking even more mature and masculine, not to mention gorgeous. My mouth watered looking at him, not to mention other parts of my anatomy. He looked so sweet as he held onto Alice's hand and she sat smiling, leaning into Emmett.

My desire for him seemed to explode in the darkness. I was surely a sinner as my thoughts enflamed my cheeks. Thank god for the darkness, hiding my attraction to the boy next to me.

A boy.

He was just a boy.

I tried to focus on that, but he seemed to be just as tense as me. I could see the large bulges of his biceps and the sharp contours of his chest through his thin shirt and it definitely did not seem like the body of a boy. His legs were long and his muscular thighs seemed to scream for my hand to reach over and feel just how ripped he was. I felt my skin crackle and my nipples peak as my eyes traveled up his form.

His jaw clenched, reminding me he was nothing like a boy. God, he was hot and I was going to hell. I wanted to lick his jaw, nip his neck, bite his lips, and drink his mouth. I had to concentrate to slow my breathing because I was sure I was on the verge of panting now.

His eyes snapped to me and he smirked, licking his lips slowly.

Oh, fuck. The panties were completely ruined now.

My breath hitched as he leaned over, "You alright?" his smooth voice asked.

I cleared my throat and nodded my head. "Just wondering the same," I finally made the words come out.

He pouted for a minute and nodded his head yes and shifted in his seat. I was making him uncomfortable. Shit, I was a child molester. I quickly looked away and fixed my eyes on the screen. I couldn't focus on what was going on in front of me because the power his body had over mine destroyed all rational brain function.

Obviously, I considered myself a decent person, that was until I was in his presence, now I was the scum of the earth. I tried to focus on the screen in front of me again, but my body was much too aware of the boy next to me, my nipples pebbling prominently beneath my shirt at his mere presence. I wrapped my arms around myself, hoping to keep myself under control, fighting the urge to reach over and grab something inappropriate.

God, I was sick.

As soon as the lights came up, I jumped up from my seat and ran from the theatre. Rose found me outside trying to catch my breath. I let her know that I would not be going shopping with her and Alice. I couldn't risk being around the boy temptation any more. I was seriously in danger of jumping him and getting myself arrested for statutory rape at this point.

Rose rolled her eyes at me, thinking it was just my usual rebuke for shopping and didn't question my motives.

I made my way to the truck when my phone chimed.

_-B give Edward a ride home. R-_

Oh, hell no.

I wanted to protest, but a hopeful looking Edward came jogging up. I could never turn him away.

Couldn't he tell he was in danger?

Didn't people have instincts about this stuff?

Couldn't he feel my dirty mind raking over his form?

Why on earth would he want to be alone with me?

I instinctually avoided men like me at all costs. Why on earth would he submit to my creepy gaze? He hopped in my truck and I started it up, almost thankful that the noise level made it difficult to talk. I didn't trust myself to not say the wrong things to him.

"So, you're not big on shopping?" he yelled over the roar of my truck.

"No," I answered simply.

"I guess this is the famous truck."

His words confused me for a moment, but then I remembered I had told him about my truck. "Oh, yeah, this is my baby," I said heading us back toward Forks. It was then I realized I had no idea where he lived. He might have lived in Port Angeles.

"Hey, where am I taking you?"

"Your place," he said boldly. I must have looked shocked because he just laughed at me. "I live in Forks; you're heading in the right direction."

I nodded my head.

"So, how old is your sister?" He was quiet for a minute and screwed up his face like he didn't want to tell me. "Do you want me to guess?" I offered.

"No, I'd rather not talk about my sister. I haven't had a break from her since we moved here, so if it's alright with you, I'd just like to relax for a while."

"She's in good hands," I offered.

"I know; that's the only way I can relax. I know Emmett will beat anyone who comes near her."

"Like you did those guys at the theater?" I pointed to his bloodied hand and pants. I noticed that there was blood splattered up his shirt as well.

"Oh, shit, Esme's going to freak if she finds out I've been fighting again."

"You want to go to my house and get cleaned up?" I offered before I realized my mistake. I shouldn't have him alone at my house.

"That would be cool, do you mind? I mean she's been really cool so far, I just don't want to push my luck," he went on to explain.

Great, he would have to come to my house to clean up then. "It's fine," I smiled.

As fine as a moth perched on a spider web.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 7 – Naughty**

**Bella**

We pulled up to my house and I was silently cursing that Charlie was still working.

"You live here?" he asked in a neutral tone.

"No, I live in Seattle actually. I'm just down visiting for the weekend before school starts."

"Oh, this is Chief Swan's house."

I smirked at him. "Yeah, so don't mess it up," I warned teasingly as I walked through the front door.

"I won't touch anything," he crossed his heart, "I promise."

I couldn't help but laugh at his antics. "Come on," I waved him over and took him to the laundry room. I pulled out the bleach pen and pulled on his shirt, un-tucking it from his pants. I started dabbing the spots, focusing on my work and trying to ignore the boy before me.

_He was just a boy, he was just a boy…_

I was not a pedophile!

I pulled out the pre-treatment spray and was about to spray his pants when he stepped back. "Mind if I take them off? I'd rather not get my shorts wet."

I blushed and nodded. "Let me get you something to wear."

I pulled out a pair of sweats and a wife beater and brought them to him.

"I only have sweats and a wife beater that might fit you," I said handing them to him.

His head snapped up. "A what?"

"Sweats and a wife beater," I said confused holding them up apart.

He snatched the sweats from my hand and stormed out of the room. He came back, tossing the clothes at the washer and stormed out the back door in nothing but sweatpants.

He stood facing the forest quietly for a moment and then collapsed to the wet ground, his shoulders shaking hard. I could hear the sobs that wracked his body. I didn't know what I had done, but I wanted to fix it. I felt horrible for doing this to him.

**Edward**

What the hell? How could someone call a shirt that? That was just sick, the way she said it so casually like it meant nothing.

But it did.

It meant something and there was no way in hell I would ever wear something like that.

That was just wrong.

I tried to force the memories back as they came rushing forward. I fell to my knees as I lost the battle. I felt warm tingles engulf my shoulder.

"Edward," I heard her voice close to my ear, "I'm so sorry."

I jumped up, moving away from her. "I'll never be a wife beater!" I snapped.

I wanted to stop. I wanted to shut up. It wasn't her fault. I needed to settle down. She looked so sad. I felt like an ass for yelling at her.

"I'm sorry," I said softly. I didn't know if she heard it.

"Edward, we're getting soaked. We should go inside out of the rain."

I looked up surprised. When had it started raining? I hadn't even noticed it. I saw her shiver and felt like more of an ass. I hoped she didn't get sick because of me.

**Bella**

I let him be.

I stood waiting in the doorway, listening to the washer run. He was in the back yard kneeling, mangling his hair. I felt like a bitch for upsetting him.

It started to sprinkle lightly and I wondered if he would be coming in anytime soon. The washer buzzed and I put the clothes in the dryer. I knew they wouldn't take long.

I looked outside again and saw it was starting to rain pretty hard now. I couldn't leave him out there; he would end up getting sick. I wasn't sure what I should do so I stood next to him calling his name, but I didn't even seem to register to him.

I finally got up the courage and touched his shoulder. "Edward, I'm so sorry."

"I'll never be a wife beater!" he yelled at me. I felt so horrible. I didn't know what he had been through, but I knew it wasn't good.

"I'm sorry," he softly apologized for yelling at me, but it wasn't necessary. He was obviously going through something and I would gladly let him yell if it helped.

I asked him to come out of the rain and he looked around, surprised that it was raining. My poor boy.

"Please come in, you'll catch your death out here," I begged.

I heard him whisper something that wasn't for my ears, but I heard it just the same. "I already have."

His eyes slowly looked up at me, taking in my worried face.

"You're cold," he said.

"I'm fine, but we need to get you warmed up, your lips are blue." And they were. His skin was a deathly pale color and his lips had a tinge of blue. I knew I needed to warm him up fast.

He stopped in the washroom by the back door and I ran ahead, grabbing the blanket off my bed and towels from the bathroom. He didn't seem all there when I returned. He was just staring at the floor where a puddle of water had accumulated at his feet.

I set my blanket on the dryer and tried to hand him the towel. He made no move to take it, so I started to wipe off his shoulders and arms, trying to avoid the pedophile death trap that was his chest. I knew if I touched it, I wouldn't be able to resist him.

He was just a boy, he was just a boy...

His hand covered mine on his arm and my eyes met his.

"Bella," he said my name so sad it broke my heart.

"You're cold, Edward, the sweats are soaked; let me get you another pair. You need to wrap up in my blanket."

He nodded in agreement as I left to get a dry pair of sweats.

**Edward**

She was so worried about me she hadn't noticed her own lips had a light tinge of blue to them. She must have been freezing. She told me to wrap up in her blanket, but I didn't want to get it wet so I took off my wet clothes and threw them in the dryer before I wrapped myself up in her blanket.

God, it smelled good and it was so soft.

I was starting to get hard and I cursed my stupid teenage body for reacting that way. She wasn't interested in me.

I pulled the soft blanket tighter around me, trying to hide the evidence of my arousal.

She came back holding another pair of sweatpants and handed them to me. I turned my back and slipped them on under the blanket and she gasped.

I turned around, worried she would be upset with me. "I put the wet clothes in the dryer; I didn't want to get your blanket wet," I explained hoping she wouldn't be disgusted with me.

She just nodded and took the towel from the top of the washer and started drying the puddle I had left on the floor.

"I'm sorry," I said again.

It seemed that was all I had been saying to her. God, this visit had not gone at all like I had hoped. I had accomplished nothing other than showing her I was a completely messed up ass of a kid.

I felt her cold hand on my cheek. "Hey, you don't need to say sorry for anything," she whispered forcing me to look into her eyes.

Her lips looked bluer and she was shivering, her clothes were drenched. "You're freezing. You need to warm up now, Bella."

"I'm alright," she started to dismiss my concern for her, but I wouldn't have it.

"No, you're going to get sick." I grabbed her icy form and pulled her against me, wrapping her up in the blanket with me.

She squeezed her eyes shut as she finally relaxed into my arms. It was like hugging an ice block with a power cord running through it.

Talk about fire and ice, she was freezing cold, but everywhere she was touching me was set on fire. I thought I would burst into flames any moment.

My stupid body responded to her close proximity by standing up to say hello. Unfortunately, the damn sweats I was wearing didn't hide it at all.

I stepped back a little to keep it from poking her, but when I moved, her eyes popped wide and she blushed.

God, she was beautiful.

**Bella**

Oh, fuck.

I had lost myself in my fantasy of loving this poor boy. I was pretty sure I might have moaned a little. I tried my best to be good. I kept my eyes closed. I held my hands still. Okay, I may have failed at keeping to myself when I rested my head on his chest. He felt so warm and solid. I could only imagine lying with him after making love, just falling asleep on the mass of muscle that was Edward, and fuck, he was hot.

Then he stepped away. I knew I must have done something that gave my less than pure intentions away.

Shit shit shit.

I looked down and that was when I saw it.

He was pitching a huge, very impressive man-sized tent in those sweats.

Wow.

The boy had certainly been generously blessed.

I looked up at his face and he blushed. "I'm sorry."

Oh, my god, he was so cute. I just smiled up at him. There was no way I was letting him feel bad for getting hard for me.

**Edward**

She was smiling, I waited for a minute to see if she was on the verge of laughing in my face, but no laughter came. I took a slow step forward, pulling her back against me, seeing if she would object. She didn't and my insides did a little flip with excitement.

I pulled the blanket back tight around us and then she did it.

I felt her cool lips on my chest.

_I would not blow my load, I would not blow my load, I would not blow my load…_

She had kissed me.

Okay, it was on the chest, but it was sexy as hell.

I moved my hand up to her hair slowly, waiting to see if she would object, but she didn't. I tipped her head back a little and moved slowly to see if she would stop me, but she made no move to push me away.

The moment my lips touched hers, it felt like my insides had exploded.

I gripped her frantically, not wanting to give her up.

The fact that she grabbed me back with just as much vigor only fed the fire I was feeling.

Fuck, she tasted so good and I wanted to taste her everywhere. I lifted her tiny frame easily and set her on the dryer, pushing my way between her thighs.

I kept waiting for her to stop me, but it never happened. In fact, she spurred me on by wrapping her legs around me, pulling me tight against her.

I couldn't stop myself from rubbing against her. The leggings she was wearing were thin and I could feel the heat of her against me. She just felt so damn good. I was sure any minute she would slap me for being a disgusting horn dog.

And then she did it.

She moaned my name.

"Oh, Edward," she said in my ear as I thrust against her harder. I could hear her panting; gasping for the air I refused to give her. I sucked her neck, tasting her skin as I grabbed her hips, holding her tighter against me as I ground against her. She was delicious and I wanted more. I tasted my way back to her lips. My lips found hers again and I drank her up.

She pulled back to breathe again. "Oh, fuck, so good," she panted out as her hands tangled up in my hair. She pulled me roughly back to her lips and I gladly obliged as I continued to thrust against her.

God, I was so close. I was going to lose my load any second. Fuck, I had to hold on, though, I couldn't come in my pants, but I couldn't find the willpower to stop grinding against her. I was pretty sure she was about to come, too, given that she was grinding against me just as hard and her breathing was coming in sharp gasps now.

Then it happened.

The buzzer on the dryer went off.

She jumped a little and then pushed me away. She jumped down and moved to the far side of the washroom, still trying to catch her breath from our activities.

Her hand moved to her lips. She looked at me and then the floor as she shook her head and I noticed she had started to cry.

"I'm sorry, oh, my god, I'm so sorry," she pleaded and ran out of the room.

Well, fuck my life!

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 8 - No Fault**

**Edward**

I could hear Bella crying in her room and I wasn't sure why she was so upset. One minute I had her in my arms and the next she was freaking out.

I heard someone pull up in the driveway and decide to throw my clothes on. I reasoned that finding me half naked with his daughter crying would not be a good way to meet the Chief of Police.

I had just pulled on my shirt when I heard my sister and who I assumed was Rosalie come into the house. I went out to greet them and they both look at me surprised.

"What?" I snapped at them irritated and pushed past them to hop in Emmett's truck, not waiting for a response. I didn't want to hear anything they had to say.

Alice came out with something in her hand. She took her place in the front seat and handed it back, waving it past Emmett. "You forgot something."

Shit, they were my boxer shorts.

Emmett's eyes went wide. "Damn, boy, you work fast."

"Shut up, Emmett," I growled snatching my shorts out of Alice's hand.

"Do you know why Bella's crying?" she asked.

I didn't answer because really, I had no clue. I just shrugged.

"Edward, what the fuck did you do to her?" my sister snapped.

"Dude, you didn't hit and run did you? You know, premature ejac..." I cut off my asshole brother and was seriously thinking of revoking his brother status.

"No, now will you two shut the fuck up? I don't know why she's crying! She was fine one second and then burst into tears the next and ran off!" I shouted, angry that they were giving me shit.

"Well, what did you say to her?" Alice asked sure that I had said something rude or insulting to her, which would not be unlike me, but I would never say or do anything like that to Bella.

"I didn't say shit, we weren't even talking?"

"What did you say before that?" she pushed.

"NOTHING!" I yelled.

"Well, what were you doing then?" she harassed me.

"It's none of your fucking business what we were doing!" I shouted. "Now shut the fuck up!"

The rest of the car ride was silent; thank god we weren't far from home. Emmett kept looking at me worried through the rearview mirror. I didn't care enough to respond to him.

I needed to be alone.

**Bella**

Rosalie came in and looked at me worried. "Okay, tell me what that little shit did and I'll have Emmett beat him up," she said.

I shook my head at her.

She sat down next to me and wrapped her arm around me. "Damn, Bella, you're ice cold." She looked around, "Where's your blanket?"

I sobbed harder and she got up and went looking for a blanket. She found mine and I sobbed even harder when she wrapped it around me and it smelled like him. Shamelessly, I snuggled into it and cried myself to sleep.

I woke up to her snarling into her phone. "You find out what the hell he did or I'll come over and find out myself." She paused. "I don't care if he's not talking you, make him talk."

I had to stop Rose before things got out of hand. "Stop, Rose, he didn't do anything, Edward didn't do anything."

She looked at me as if she didn't believe me, but then she turned back to her phone. "I know, I heard her, but if she says any different, I'll call, you do the same." She paused and then smiled. "I know, I'm sorry, thanks, Emmett, you've been great."

I would have sworn she blushed and I couldn't help but smile a little for my friend. She saw my expression and hugged me. "Do you want to go home, Bella?"

I gave her a watery smile and nodded my head yes. It would be best for me to stay far away from Edward. The poor boy had been traumatized enough. What had started out as me just trying to reassure him quickly changed to something else. He had looked so terrified when he pulled me back into his arms, like I was about to lash out at him, and I was sure that had happened in his past at some point. I let him pull me to him and I hugged him to let him know I was still there.

He still seemed nervous, so I had turned my head and kissed his chest lightly, letting him know I was not upset. I felt his hand move up my back to my neck, leaving a trail of tingles in its wake. I let him tip my head back thinking he needed to see my eyes to know I was sincere, but what I saw floored me.

He licked his perfect lips and his eyes darted between my eyes and my lips. He was moving in slow motion, waiting for me to move away, but I didn't, I couldn't.

I was stunned, shocked.

Could it have been possible that this beautiful boy wanted to kiss me?

My heart was racing in my chest so fast I could barely breathe, and then his lips finally brushed against mine and I felt my whole body come alive. It felt like I had never been kissed before in my life.

His kiss was completely different from anything I had ever experienced before. His lips seemed to be made for mine, and he kissed me such that I felt it over my whole body. Before I even realized what I was doing, I was kissing him back. Everything went so fast and I quickly got carried away.

That buzzer startled me from my Edward-induced haze, making me realize what I had done.

A boy.

He was just a boy.

I ran away from him, locking myself in my room, saving him from myself. I couldn't believe what I had done.

**Edward**

It had been two weeks since I had seen Bella. I still didn't know what I had done wrong. I was too embarrassed to talk to anyone about it. Not that I had anyone to talk to about it.

Emmett had gone back to school in Seattle and from what I could tell from his occasional emails, he was dating Rosalie now. I wanted to ask about Bella, but I couldn't think of a way to do it discreetly.

Alice still stuck with me at school, but word had gotten around that I had beaten up Mike and Eric pretty bad, so no one was saying anything to our faces anymore. Not that it stopped them from talking behind our backs.

It was going to be a long two years. I was a junior and I couldn't wait for this year to fly.

I would be eighteen in June and I was thinking about taking my GED to get the hell out of Forks. I would have to talk to Alice about it first. She wouldn't want me to go anywhere without her.

I was counting down to my birthday. It was less than ten months away. It was not that I didn't like being with the Cullen's, it was just that I didn't want to be a burden. I would be able to take care my sister and myself soon enough.

I was poking at my lunch, with Alice leaning into me nibbling on god knows what, when a girl plopped down across from me. Two of her cronies sat on either side of her. The middle one reached her hand out to me as she introduced herself and I just looked at it scowling, not wanting to give them anything else to gossip about.

"Hi, I'm Tanya and this is Lauren and Jessica." She smiled at Alice and offered her hand to her.

Alice timidly reached for it.

Tanya seemed to smile in relief. "So, are you guys getting settled in our soggy town?" she asked focusing mostly on Alice since she was the only one who was receptive. I poked at my food some more, watching them out of the corner of my eye, ready to pounce if they started anything.

Alice smiled and nodded in response.

"That's great. Anyway, we were having a slumber party this weekend and we were hoping you could come," Tanya said smiling.

I growled. I didn't like what they were planning. I didn't know what they were up to, but it couldn't be good. I knew for a fact that they were friends of the assholes I'd had to protect Alice from.

Alice looked to me and then to Tanya a couple of times and I wondered if she needed me to tell Tanya to fuck off.

"I'm sorry," Alice said so softly that Tanya leaned across the table to hear her better. "We're going to Seattle," Alice said and then smiled at me. "I meant to tell you that Rose and Emmett are throwing a party for Bella's birthday and I already asked Esme if we could go visit Emmett. She said it was fine if you don't mind driving. Is that okay?"

Alice usually didn't talk so much in front of others, but I got the impression she wanted these girls to be her friends. God only knew why.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine," I answered and then glared at the girls across the table, ready for them to leave.

"Well, that sounds like fun; I hope you have a good time," Tanya offered but still didn't leave. "Um, I don't know if you have a cell phone, but I do and thought, you know, if you get bored or something, we could chat?"

She slipped a number across the table to Alice. To my surprise, Alice took it and programmed it into her phone and then called Tanya.

Tanya's phone vibrated and made her jump. She quickly pulled it out and smiled. "Awesome," she said quickly typing in Alice's name. "I'll catch you later, Alice," she said smiling brightly at her and then looked at me directly. "It was nice talking to you, Edward," she said with a smirk and the girls with her giggled along with Alice.

I looked at Alice surprised and she laughed more. "What? It was funny," she defended.

I just shook my head and smiled.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 9 – Birthday**

**Bella**

Rose was acting weird.

I was not sure why, but it was more than the usual madly in love with Emmett weird. I decided to sneak out and get some coffee because I did not feel like dealing with her weirdness right now.

I grabbed my scarf, bumping into Jasper as I made a mad dash out of our dorm room while I was wrapping it around my neck. "Hey, Bella, I was just coming to see you. You still have that cough?" he asked pointing to my scarf.

"Yeah."

"Sucks, have you seen a doctor about it? You've had it for a while now," he said worried.

I knew how long I'd had it. I had been coughing since the day I attacked Edward in the washroom. I was wallowing in my illness as my punishment, literally being as sick as I was in the head. My chest ached and sometimes it was hard to breathe which was uncomfortable, but I deserved no less for my debauchery.

"I was wondering if you had the notes from yesterday's lecture?" he asked glancing at my door.

"I do, but do you mind waiting until tomorrow to get them? Rose is acting weird and I just want to avoid her for a little while."

"Sure, no problem, Bella, you want to grab some coffee or something?"

"Sure, I was just on my way out for some," I said inviting him to join me.

Jasper was the same age as us and was pretty cool; we first met when Rose and I joined his martial arts classes. He taught kick boxing and self-defense to work his way through college. He said it didn't pay much, but it kept him in great shape. We had two college courses together this semester and we were pretty good about helping each other out in them.

Jasper was very easy to be around.

It seemed like lately he had taken a little more interest in me, but I could be wrong. Rose said I should encourage it, but I just couldn't. He was nice, but I just knew he wasn't the one for me.

Edward was still on my mind. Somehow, I knew Jasper would not compare to Edward in the kissing department. I doubted anyone could.

I felt bad for being slightly distracted from our conversation, but I didn't feel guilty when I saw him looking at his cell phone.

Was he checking the time? Was I that boring?

"What time is it?" I asked.

He looked up startled. "Oh, um, let me look," he said punching a few buttons.

That was odd, what was he looking at?

"It's 8:30 p.m. Bella, I should probably walk you back before Rose presses charges for kidnapping."

It was crazy. Time seemed to just fly with Jasper. Had it really been two hours since we left? That was just nuts.

I heard loud music pounding through the dorm and I turned to Jasper, "So much for studying tonight."

He smiled at me, but it wasn't his usual smile; it was an 'I'm up to something' smile and it worried me.

**Edward**

We arrived at Emmett's frat house a little before midnight. We called Esme and let her know we had gotten in safely and Emmett showed us to his room. I was exhausted from the drive, but Alice was excited to see our brother.

Rose had waited for us to arrive and handed us a planned schedule of set up tomorrow. She had Emmett and I helping set up the stage for the band. Alice would be helping her with the food. I was a little nervous when I saw that at first, but Emmett told me that we would not be separated during set up.

The next day, Alice had us running around like crazy in the frat house kitchen. We had made all sorts of finger foods for the party.

A blonde-haired guy came huffing in, shouting for Emmett. "Emmett, man, I got the cake, but Rose said that her suggestion for Bella to take off didn't work. She wants me to go ask her out to lunch."

"Do you think she'll go?" Alice asked worried.

"Of course, girls' got to eat," the blonde guy replied.

"Who's he?" I said pointing rudely to him.

Emmett just laughed. "Don't like your competition, eh, Edward?"

No, I did not, actually, but I wouldn't tell him that. I just scowled at him.

"What, your little brother has a crush on Bella?" the douchebag chuckled.

"Not a crush, man, E's got game. Last time he left her place, he forgot his underwear."

The guy's eyes opened wide and he started choking on a snack he had swiped from one of Alice's trays.

Yeah, fucker, I wasn't wearing shorts and I was rubbing my junk all over her, kissing the hell out of her delicious mouth.

I couldn't stop my scowl.

"You alright, Jasper?" Emmett asked the douchebag as he thumped him on the back, probably knocking his lungs loose.

"Bella and Edward?" Jasper Douche asked.

I contemplated saying yes, but knew he would talk to her so I just shook my head no. "I told the fucker nothing happened."

"Right, because I always take off my boxers when I'm talking to Bella," Emmett snarked.

"Whatever, fucker, you can ask her yourself tonight."

"Nah, Rose won't let me ask her about it, says Bella gets too upset. What the hell did you guys do, Edward? Plot to kill someone and bury them in the back yard?"

"Yeah, you, fucker! It's none of your fucking business what the hell we were fucking doing, so just fucking drop it."

"Is it possible for you to say fuck a bit more? I think it was a little under used in that last sentence," Jasper Douche said.

Asshole.

**Bella**

I slowed when I realized the party was on my floor. I felt Jasper put his arm around me, pushing me forward.

I let him guide me back to my room. The door was wide open and there were people in the hall outside jumping around to some loud music. Once I appeared in the doorway, Rosalie screamed, "Surprise!" from the stage microphone. She ran over and hugged me. "Happy birthday, Bella!"

Stage? When the hell did that happen?

Suddenly, the crowd started singing Happy Birthday and parted. Emmett came forward with a massive cake.

I would kill Rose later.

I smiled as the band strummed out the tune and everyone sang along off key. I blew out my candles and everyone cheered.

The band leader hollered out, "Save me a piece!" referring to the cake and started playing again. I followed Emmett to the kitchen because he insisted that the birthday girl got first piece, it was just tradition.

I was shocked by what I found there.

Edward and his little sister were setting out plates and scooping out ice cream, preparing for the onslaught of cake eaters that followed behind me.

Emmett made a big show of me cutting off a piece of cake and Edward asked me what flavor ice cream I wanted. I pointed out a bowl of strawberry and his smile grew like he knew a secret.

I couldn't help but smile at him. I was nervous to be around him, but I loved that I could see him on my birthday. That really was the best present anyone could have given me.

I could stare at my boy all day, but I knew it would be inappropriate so I had to live with just giving him a timid smile and moving out of view. He would have to stay out of my line of sight; otherwise, I knew my eyes would fixate on him. I hoped he knew I was happy to see him.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 10 – Making an Appearance**

**Edward**

The party seemed to be going well. Alice and I hid out in the kitchen for the most part. I wanted to keep her away from the college boys in their drunken stupor as they looked to get some action.

I hoped Emmett was keeping an eye out for Bella.

Assper (what I had deemed Jasper's new name to be) decided to hang out in the kitchen with us. He kept trying to talk to Alice which pissed me off. If he had been drunk I would have hit him, but he was sober and not saying anything rude or inappropriate so I didn't have an excuse to hit him…yet.

After much persistence, Alice started talking to Assper which surprised me. She usually didn't talk to strangers, but I guess she felt if he was a friend of Emmett's that he was okay. I stood in the corner scowling at them.

I heard the music change, it sounded like the band was taking their break. Some long-haired asshole came stumbling in looking for cake. Bella followed behind him nervously.

"Over here, James. I have a piece of cake and some ice cream saved for you," she coaxed him over to the refrigerator.

I watched as Jasper kept his eyes on this shithead, James, and protectively pushed Alice behind him. Yeah, he could be Jasper now.

I watched disgusted and furious as James stumbled forward, focused on Bella's ass. He reached down and adjusted himself smirking and when I growled, he looked up at me winking, tipping his beer bottle in my direction.

When Bella bent over to reach into the refrigerator, the sick bastard grabbed her hips and started pressing himself against her. She jumped and was about to say something to him, but it was too late. I had already decked the fucker, knocking him out.

Bella gasped shocked. I turned and looked back at Jasper and Alice. Jasper was smiling widely. Yeah, he was alright.

"Edward, oh, my god, you knocked him out!" she said worried.

"Jerk deserved it," Jasper defended. Yeah, he was cool.

"He may have, but who's going to play in the band for him? He's the lead singer and guitarist. Crap, Rosalie's going to be pissed," she said and looked up at me with concern. Did she think I was afraid of Rose?

"Edward can play," a little voice from behind Jasper spoke.

We all turned to see Alice smiling widely. "He can play. It's been a while, but he's really good."

I shook my head no. "Alice, I haven't even owned a guitar for years after that bastard smashed Mom's," I said trying to push away the memory.

I saw her flinch a little and then step out from behind Jasper. She still held onto his arm. "I'll sing with you, our song, just to warm up if you'll play."

That was major. Alice didn't do crowds; she was terrified so she must have really wanted me to play. I looked over at Bella who was begging with pleading eyes. Damn it, these girls would be the death of me.

"Fine, consider it your present, and if I suck, it's your fault," I said to Bella.

She smiled and hugged me tightly. It was totally worth it now. She grabbed my hand, not breaking that strange connection between us as she led me forward to the stage.

"Where's James?" one of the guys asked.

"He passed out in the kitchen," Jasper answered smoothly. "Bella found someone who can play, but his sister would like to sing a song with him first if that's cool with you guys."

"Sure, man, whatever. As long as we still get paid, we don't give a shit."

"You will," Bella said bouncing and pushed me up onto the stage.

I hoped I still remembered how to play.

I turned to the guys as I picked up the guitar. "It's been a while; can you give me a minute?" I asked.

They nodded yes.

I watched Alice bounce excitedly next to Jasper and then he surprised her by picking her up and standing her up on the stage next to me. She smiled at the crowd; there were only about twenty people in the room because that was all that could fit standing room only. I was silently grateful for that.

Alice stepped back and spoke softly to the other band members, telling them what song we were going to sing. They didn't know my mother had taught us different words to it, though.

I heard the beginning beats start as Alice came bouncing forward. I really missed this side of her. I was thrilled to see it making an appearance.

**Bella**

Edward did it again. He saved me from a jerk by knocking James out cold with one hit. Fuck that was so hot. The fact that he could play guitar just made him even hotter. I had to touch him, but I reigned myself in, only taking his hand. I held his hand, letting my body hum in excitement. I wanted him. I wanted him so bad.

His tiny sister talked him into playing for us and stood next to him on the stage. As he strummed the guitar, she started singing, but it wasn't the words we all knew.

Her first words were something about him ripping the heads off her dolls and he responded to her, singing about her dressing his GI Joes like ho's and the crowd started laughing.

They went back and forth, teasing each other tauntingly and suppressing laughs as they sang.

His voice was like honey, sweet and smooth. His sister held her own, singing with him. They were both very talented.

They ended the song and the crowd cheered. Edward called out to Emmett and he waved to him. Edward yelled catch and picked up his little sister and tossed her over the crowd into Emmett's waiting arms. The crowd went wild at the show and I couldn't blame them.

My boy was hot.

He turned back to the group and they nodded in agreement as they strummed out a few opening cords of a Caged Elephant song.

Edward was good. Really good. The boy had a future in music if he wanted it for sure.

Alice found her way back to the front between Jasper and me; she leaned over, telling me that Edward could play any song he heard. Apparently, their mother taught him to play when he was six. "He used to play every day," she added but then stopped talking suddenly. I looked at her and she was holding her eyes shut tightly. I looked at Jasper worried; he quickly wrapped his arm around her, whispering something in her ear. She smiled up at him, opening her eyes and leaning into his side.

The rest of the night wasn't bad at all. Rose and Emmett kept drinks in my hand and I got to listen to Edward sing.

My boy was amazing.

**Edward**

At the end of the night, I hopped off the stage and helped put away the gear. I noticed Jasper was still sober and keeping a close eye on Alice who was talking excitedly with Rose and Emmett. I turned around to see if I could find Bella when some redhead threw herself into my arms. I caught her because I didn't want her to get hurt.

She was drunk, very drunk. She was talking dirty to me, telling me all the things she wanted to do to me. It didn't faze me in the slightest. She held no interest for me. I just wanted to get rid of her so I could find Bella. I carried her over to the couch and set her down before I turned around to find Bella stumbling over.

She smiled lazily up at me. "You're so beeauuutiful! Oh, my beautiful boy, you taste so good," she whispered the last part in my ear as she licked it.

My eyes popped wide and I heard Jasper start laughing. My eyes found him watching me react to Bella, and Alice was smirking along with him. "Why don't you put your girl to bed, Edward, it looks like she's had enough for tonight," he nodded to Bella's sagging form in my arms.

I looked for Rose, hoping for some help, but she was too busy sucking on my brother's tongue while pulling him into her room. I looked back at Jasper, but Alice was pulling him into the kitchen to help with clean up in there. I was left with my very drunk Bella.

"I want you so bad, Edward," she slurred into my ear. "I'm going to hell for being na-nail file."

Yup, she was completely out of it. Then I felt where her hand had slipped to and gulped hard. She gripped me through my jeans and rubbed me roughly, making my semi become fully erected. This was so not a good thing right now.

I quickly scooped her up in my arms and carried her to what I assumed was her room. She had one little twin bed and a desk in the corner. Her screensaver on her computer was on and flipping through pictures. I looked up just as the one of me she had taken that night we first met came up.

I was distracted for only a moment, but apparently that was all drunken Bella needed because she was suddenly only wearing her underwear and fighting hopelessly with her bra.

Shit, she was drunk. She was so drunk. She was so very drunk. Down, boy.

I looked around and quickly found a large sleep shirt and pulled it over her head just as she got her bra undone.

Fuck, that was close.

"No, Edward, off, I want the clothes off, I want you now," she begged and pouted her cute little pout.

"I'm sorry, Love, but you're very drunk and I don't screw drunken girls." Truth was I didn't screw any girls at all, but she didn't need to know that.

"But if I was sober you would?" she asked weakly.

"Of course I would. I would be a fool not to," I said and kissed her cheek lightly.

"Lay with me please?" she begged.

"You promise to be good?" I asked.

She made a sloppy crossing her heart motion that made me laugh and I climbed into the bed behind her, pulling her back against me and taking her hands in mine to keep them in a safe place.

I had some self-restraint, but it would only go so far.

I kissed her shoulder and told her goodnight.

I didn't mean to fall asleep. I had every intention of getting up and taking Alice back to my brother's place, but the party and the traveling had gotten to me and I was asleep before Bella was.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 11 – Sleepover**

**Bella**

Mmm, Edward.

My dream was vivid. I was snuggled deep in his arms. He smelled so good. I didn't want him to ever let me go.

Of course, like all wonderful dreams, it had to come to an end. I dreamt that I was being chased by little devils trying to catch me. I was running so hard I could barely breathe.

They ended up catching me on fire and I jumped into the freezing water to put it out; but the water was hot and I couldn't breathe. I couldn't find the surface.

I could hear Edward calling to me, but I couldn't breathe. I couldn't answer him. I felt like I was caught up in a horrible nightmare, running in circles and trying to follow Edward's voice. The darkness was overwhelming and stifling, and I found myself panting as if I had run ten miles. The earth was shaking as I ran, causing me to pitch and stumble, and I tried to scream, but nothing was coming out. I felt like I was suddenly drowning

I felt something shake me and I started to wake.

I could hear people talking, but I could barely make out what they were saying. I felt hands on me and heard someone crying. What were they crying about?

"They're on their way," someone said, but then I slipped away again before I could hear any more.

**Edward**

I woke up because I was hot. I realized it was Bella. She was running a fever, a high one from what I could tell.

I watched her struggle a couple of times to get her chest to rise and fall. I could tell she was having trouble breathing as her face paled and her lips blued. I jumped out of bed and pounded on what I thought was Rosalie's door.

Emmett answered startled, and I told him to call for help because Bella was having trouble breathing and running a high fever.

I ran back to the room, leaning down over her to see if I could feel her exhale, but there was nothing.

"Bella!" I shouted and started to shake her.

Rosalie came running in and told me she had been sick for over a month now.

She freaked out when she saw Bella wasn't breathing. I leaned down, putting my head to her chest to listen for a heartbeat, but I didn't hear anything. I started freaking out because I thought she was dead.

Emmett pulled me back and Rose checked her pulse again and found one.

It seemed like an eternity, but Emmett swore it was only a few minutes before the EMTs arrived. They immediately started helping Bella breathe, but she didn't wake up.

Emmett drove Rose and me to the ER to wait for some news. I sat staring at the ground, counting the scuffs in the white tiles. I had counted seven hundred forty-two when Chief Swan came running in. Rose jumped up to meet him, telling him what had happened and begged him to let us know what was going on.

The doctor found him and explained to him that Bella had an advanced case of pneumonia; she was on oxygen and antibiotics to help fight it. They wanted to put in a chest tube to help drain her lungs and they needed him to sign the papers before they could do that.

The Chief agreed to it, signing the papers then rubbed his face worried.

"Chief Swan, it's going to be alright. We got to her in time; we don't think there'll be any brain damage because she wasn't without oxygen that long. If it wasn't for that boy, she most likely would be a lot worse off," the doctor added not realizing that he had just informed a man that I had been sleeping with his daughter and said man was still toting a gun.

I was so fucked.

His eyes snapped to me as the doctor spoke and I could feel myself shrinking a little inside.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

There was no way I was messing with this man.

"What did he mean by that?" the Chief asked.

The doctor patted his shoulder, "Well, I'll leave you to chat. I need to get Ms. Swan prepped for surgery."

We all nodded, dismissing the doctor. I hoped his words would be enough to distract the Chief, but it wasn't.

"What was he talking about?" he asked suspiciously.

Rose, the blonde that she was, answered him. "Edward was with her when she stopped breathing."

The Chief glanced at his watch. It was just going on 6:00 a.m.

Yeah, no fucking way to get around this.

"What were you doing with my baby girl in the middle of the night?" the Chief asked accusingly.

"We had a birthday party for her, Chief Swan. Edward came up from Forks with his sister, Alice, for it."

He looked me up and down again. "What's your name, boy?"

"Edward Cullen, Sir." I would use Dr. Cullen's last name so he could place me. I was sure he would have no idea who Edward Masen was, but I was sure he had met Dr. Cullen. I was sure he would have like him, everyone did.

"You're Carlisle's boy?" he asked.

"Yes, Sir," I answered trying to sound as respectful as possible.

He grunted, nodded his head, and then walked away.

Emmett came up to me, punching my shoulder. "Dodged the bullet on that one now didn't you, Edward Cullen?" he whispered teasingly.

I just scowled in return.

**Bella**

There was a beeping noise. It took me a few minutes to figure it out, but I knew what it was. It wasn't the first time I had been in a hospital.

My chest felt heavy and I was trying to remember what the heck happened. I didn't remember hurting myself.

I tried harder to remember what happened. I only got flashes of watching Edward playing guitar. I smiled at the memory.

Did I hurt myself dancing?

Oh, my gosh, that would be so embarrassing to hurt myself dancing at my own birthday party. I hoped I didn't hurt anyone else. I must have really hit my head hard if I didn't remember it happening.

I could hear someone else talking. Well, sort of, they kept coming in and out of my hearing range so I could only hear bits and pieces.

"…Waking up soon…coming out….went well…successful recovery…"

What the hell were they talking about? I was pretty sure it was my doctor, but I couldn't catch everything he was saying. He sounded pleased with himself so that was a good sign. That and I was not in any pain.

My chest just felt heavy.

Then I heard my dad's voice. I felt guilty for getting drunk and hurting myself. I was sure he had better things to do, dang it.

"…Friends….alright…minutes..." was all I could make out. He asked the doctor something, but I couldn't hear the response.

I was fighting to hear what was going on so I could figure out what had happened. It was quiet for a long time as I strained to hear anything. Then I felt him before I heard him.

Edward.

He was here and holding my hand now. I could feel the energy from his touch run up my arm and warm my whole body.

"Bella?" I heard his worried voice call to me and I fought to open my eyes.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review! **


	12. Chapter 12

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 12 - No Good**

**Special thanks to my wonderful Beta, Dollybigmomma! You rock it, chica!**

**Edward**

I sat across from Rose and listened to her complain, saying she had told Bella she needed to see a doctor. She continued crying softly into Emmett's shoulder, cursing Bella for not coming in sooner.

From what I could make out, Bella had become sick after her visit to Forks.

It was my fault she was sick. I almost killed her. Me and my stupid messed up ass almost killed the most beautiful girl in the world.

I was no good for her.

I could never be good enough for her, even in my wildest dreams. She deserved so much better than my messed up ass. I needed to get out of her life before I did something stupid again to hurt her.

Chief Swan said it was okay for us to visit with Bella while he went to get some lunch. He led the way back to her room, leaving us there.

Emmett thanked him and took a seat on the far side of the room, pulling Rose into his lap.

Bella was still asleep, but her heartbeat sounded steady, so that was a relief. Her color looked a lot better as well. They said she would be fine.

I sat for a moment holding her hand, just feeling the hum of her body run through mine. She was so beautiful. It broke my heart that I was going to have to leave her before she woke; however, Emmett promised me that he would help Rose look after her and let her know I stayed as long as I could. Maybe then she would understand that I didn't mean to hurt her. It was Sunday and the Cullen's would be expecting Alice and me home that evening so we had to go.

"Bella?" I called to her, hoping she would open her eyes so I could see them one last time.

She didn't, but there was a small smile on her face.

I relaxed a little; she was in there and could probably hear me.

"You need to rest, Love," I spoke softly into her ear, "You're very sick."

I reached up, brushing the hair back from her face, leaning in so no one could hear me. "I'm so sorry I got you sick, beautiful. I'm such an ass, you didn't deserve this. I'm no good for you. Just know that you're the most beautiful thing I've seen in all my years and I love you no matter where I am."

I gently pressed my lips to her cheek, letting them feel the warmth radiate through me. "I'll miss you," I said softly as I backed away.

One would think a boy could not love or miss a person they barely knew; but somehow, there was something there that drew me to her. My world seemed to center around her and her happiness. I didn't fully understand it myself, but it was true; I did love her with all my being.

As I backed away from her, my body revolted against me. My insides twisted, begging me to return to her. My feet felt like lead, protesting each step I took away from her. My lungs constricted, refusing to take in air that was not graced with her beautiful presence.

For her, and only for her, could I leave her presence.

I knew it was what was best for her and that was the only thing that made it possible for me to put one foot in front of the other to move away from her.

In such a short time, she had become my everything and I didn't understand how that had happened. But it had and there was no changing it now.

**Bella**

I heard him speak softly and upset. He thought this was his fault.

Oh, my poor sweet boy.

This was all my fault. He had to know it was me and not him. I hated that he thought this was his fault. I fought hard to wake, to open my eyes, but my body refused to concede.

I felt him kiss my cheek.

I didn't know how a small kiss on the cheek could make me feel so precious, but it did. He was amazing and I loved him. I was pulled to him like a magnet. I wanted to be with him and I wasn't sure why, but there was just something about my boy that made me need him desperately.

I felt him stand to leave. I could feel his energy as it reluctantly pulled away from me. I didn't want him to leave. I hated that I couldn't wake and beg him to stay. I needed him to stay.

I wanted to cry.

The next three weeks passed quickly after my birthday party and I was finally starting to feel a little better. Pneumonia was an evil bitch! I heard a familiar sound and rolled my eyes. Rose was bugging me again. I didn't even know why she bothered pounding on my door. I heard it slam open like she had done every day for the past nine days. Apparently, she figured I had recovered enough and needed to get off of my ass and get on with life.

My body might have been fine, but my heart wasn't. I didn't know why I was so miserable. I knew Edward was just a boy and had to go to school.

He was still in high school.

Fuck! I was a pedophile.

I was missing the boy so desperately it was debilitating. It was so wrong on so many levels. I was going to hell. What was even worse was the poor boy didn't even like me.

I had called him nine days ago and left a message on his phone, telling him it wasn't his fault that I was sick and I was sorry for my behavior. I asked him to please call me, but he never did.

He didn't want me. I must have hallucinated his sweet words. He didn't want me. He probably thought I was insane for calling at all.

Fuck my life for loving a boy who thought I was an old freaky lady.

**Edward**

She had called me and left a message, telling me it wasn't my fault.

Her voice sounded good.

I must have listened to her message a hundred times. Her voice was sweet, kind, and most of all she sounded healthy. I knew she was okay. I didn't want her to get mixed up in my mess so I let her be. I knew I was no more than a silly little boy to her so I would let her get on with her life.

Three weeks dragged by and I found myself missing Bella more every day. I had taken to holding up in my room to keep everyone else from having to endure my sour mood, but that never stopped my darling sister. Alice came bursting into my room, talking so fast it was impossible to understand anything she was saying. I caught snippets of it, something about Halloween and a costume. She was digging something out of my closet.

She was still talking, but I just lay back on my bed, waiting for her to come out and explain herself a little clearer. She pulled out my suit from when we went to court for the adoption. Esme insisted we look our best when we spoke to the judge.

Alice had something in her hand. "I think I can use this to blacken your hair or we could dye it, maybe use some spray?"

"Alice, what the hell are you dressing me up as?"

"The Phantom of the Opera of course. Really? Haven't you been listening to a word I said?" she pouted at me.

I shook my head no.

She sighed and spoke slowly like she was talking to a baby. "We're going to Seattle for Emmett's Halloween party. Esme and Carlisle said it was okay."

I sat up shocked. How did I miss this part of the conversation? "What?"

"Emmett called me about it last week! Really, Edward, you said you would drive us up there for the party. Anyway, it's a good thing I didn't leave your costume up to you. Obviously, you haven't been listening to a word I said."

"When are we leaving?" I asked still slightly confused.

"Tomorrow, silly! Why do you think I'm packing?" she said rolling her eyes as she walked out of my room with my suit.

I really needed to get my shit together!

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 13 - Phantom in the Night**

**Bella**

It was the night of Emmett's Halloween party and Rosalie was busy shoving me into some sort of costume. I had no idea what I was, but it resembled some sort of whore, like most female Halloween costumes. I was not looking forward to the grope fest this evening.

I tried faking several different illnesses to get out of going. I probably should have focused on one to make it more believable, but I had never been a good liar.

Note to self: get a medical dictionary to learn to fake illnesses realistically.

Rose was currently pushing me into her car, making me hold two six-packs of her favorite wine cooler. Apparently, she planned on getting smashed. I decided staying sober would be the best thing since last time I ended up in the hospital. Yeah, nothing screamed 'don't drink ever again' like four days in the hospital.

God, this was going to be a long night sober.

When we pulled up, Jasper, ever the gentleman, opened my door, taking the drinks from me. "You planning on getting drunk again, Swan?" he asked eyeing the coolers.

"No, I'm not drinking at all tonight; this is all for Rose."

"Cool, you can hang with me. I'll be staying sober as well," he said smiling.

I was pleased to have a friend to hang with that could help keep the drunk grope monkeys away.

**Edward**

Alice bounced excitedly down the frat house stairs. I realized now that she had become a lot more like her old self. It looked good on her.

I gazed across the crowd and found Bella talking to Jasper. As soon as Alice stepped into view of them, Jasper was excusing himself to chase after her. I would have been upset, but I saw the way the other guys were ogling my sister and the way Jasper was glaring at all of them, shooing them away. I also noticed he was drinking a can of soda and offered a closed one to Alice, which she happily accepted. Emmett trusted Jasper and she felt safe with him so I figured she was safe.

My eyes drifted back to Bella and watched her push through the crowd and then down a hallway. I followed, keeping an eye on her. I may not have been good enough for her, but neither were any of the other assholes here.

She seemed to be looking for a quiet place to sit and finally made her way to a door on the far side of the kitchen. She shut it and I stood on the other side of it listening for a while, making sure she was okay.

Then I heard it.

A soft sobbing was coming through the door. She was crying. Worried she was hurt, I quickly opened the door.

She gasped when she saw me, quickly wiping her face.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

She nodded yes, and then she looked at the dryer she was standing next to and burst into tears.

"Are you okay, do you need help?" I asked worried, not sure what to do.

She laughed blackly. "Yes, I need help, but it's nothing you could give me unless you're a psych major."

Psych major? It was then I realized that she didn't recognize me. With my black hair and mask, she had no idea who I was.

"You need a psychic?" I asked dumbly.

She laughed genuinely now. "You're funny. What's your name?"

I thought quickly and remembered that Alice had told me the name of the Phantom was Erik.

"Erik."

She laughed. "Is that why you're dressed as the Phantom?"

"Um, yeah, sure?" I answered not sure of myself.

"What's your major, Erik?" she asked.

"Music," I answered instantly. If I ever went to college, it would be for music.

"Nice, too bad it isn't psychology. I could use a good head shrink right now."

"I can change majors for you," I offered. Hell, why not, it was a fake major anyway.

She laughed. "You're sweet."

"What's got you so upset?" I asked hoping she would talk now.

She shook her head at me.

"Come on, girl, let it out, you'll feel better. Tell Dr. E all about it."

She laughed at me. "Fine, I'm in love with someone I can't have."

"What do you mean? Is he married?"

She shook her head no. "He doesn't want me and, well, he's a little younger than me."

I shrugged at her. "How do you know he doesn't want you? Any guy would be a dumbass to pass you up."

"That's sweet, Erik, but he doesn't. I called him twelve days ago, asking him to call me back, but he never did. What more proof do I need that he doesn't want me?" she asked with tears in her eyes.

Holy shit, did Bella think she was in love with me? Maybe she had called someone else.

"What's so special about this guy?" I asked hoping to get some more details about him to see if she was talking about me. Surely I couldn't be so lucky.

She smiled wistfully. "He's beautiful. When he kisses me, I forget everything. I feel like my whole body is on fire. I had never been kissed like that until him. I'm afraid I'll never have that again," she finished sadly.

There was nothing in her statement that would lead me to believe it was me she was talking about. So I thought of a way to figure it out.

"I could kiss you," I offered nervously.

She looked up at me surprised. "Oh, well, that's sweet of you to offer, but I don't want to give you a complex. I'm sure you're a fine kisser, but I think that when you find that one person who completes you, your whole spirit is set alight with excitement when their lips touch yours. I don't think I can get that feeling from anyone else."

"What if there's a choice?"

She looked at me confused.

"What if there are two people in the whole world and God put them both here for you to choose from. I mean, people who were married for decades and then lose their spouses have been known to remarry. It's possible to find that with more than one person."

She looked at me thoughtful for a minute. "Have you been drinking?" she finally asked.

I shook my head no vigorously.

She walked over toward me. I could feel the air charge around us as she approached me.

"Do you want to kiss me?" she asked.

I nodded yes. I would do anything to get my lips on hers again.

She smiled and took a deep breath and then nodded at me. "Okay, I'm ready." She looked like she was bracing herself for something.

"Okay then," I spoke softly as I slid my hand up her neck. "Relax," I whispered against her lips.

My body was vibrating with excitement, calling to hers, begging her for a response. As soon as my lips hit hers, she let out what sounded like a moan of relief and quickly wrapped her arms around my neck, holding me tightly to her.

My body was responding quickly to hers. I was getting ready to pull away from her when I felt her hand slip across the front of my pants.

I groaned at the contact.

She squeezed me lightly, causing me to harden faster, and then she hitched her leg up over my hip. I quickly gripped her ass and pulled her other leg up as well, setting her on the dryer. The short little skirt she was wearing rode up, revealing a tiny pair of black lace panties. I almost came just seeing them. I pushed deep between her legs and ground into her as she egged me on, pressing me firmly against her with her legs while biting my neck, begging for more. Her lips worked up my neck and then she licked my jaw and sucked on my earlobe. "Fuck, you feel so good, Erik. I want you so bad."

When she said Erik, I realized things couldn't progress any further. I just didn't know how I was supposed to stop this if she was begging me for it. God, I wanted her so much and my cock was throbbing almost painfully as I continued to thrust against her.

"Ugh, please, tell me you have protection on you."

It took me a minute to realize she was asking if I had a condom, causing me to still my efforts. I shook my head no and she pouted at me. "I'm sorry; I wasn't planning on getting lucky tonight," I said lamely.

She smiled at me. "You're a sweet guy, Erik." She let out a sigh. "I may have even let you ride bareback I want you so bad, but I was on antibiotics a couple of weeks ago and my birth control is not effective for another two weeks."

I kissed her pouty lips softly and then her nose. "It's fine. I just wanted to show you there was no reason to give up on finding true love."

She smiled widely. "You're a really good kisser, and I think I may have developed a fetish for laundry rooms. Is that weird?"

"I don't know, but I can change my major to psychology and find out for you." I would do anything for her, and she shouldn't expect anything less from anyone who wanted to be with her. I hoped she knew that.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 14 - Fetish Me**

**Edward**

The weeks following the Halloween party were the hardest I had ever endured. I constantly wanted to call Bella and come clean about the whole Erik thing and tell her I felt the same way about her.

I knew better, though.

I was too messed up to be with her and she deserved to be happy. I had to let her go, even if it hurt.

I noticed Alice seemed to be getting back to her old self a little more each day. She hung on to her phone like it was a body part and texted on it constantly. She started hanging out with Tanya more, which bugged me at first, but after a while, I kind of got used to the girls sitting with us.

They never tried to include me in their conversations, which I appreciated. I didn't give a fuck about the latest school gossip or fashion which seemed to be all they chatted about.

I needed to start hanging out with some dudes and get my man card renewed because this was getting sick. I realized the other day I knew how to tell the difference between an authentic and a knock off Gucci purse.

That was just wrong.

I needed to do something manly like beat the shit out of someone or something. I didn't know who or what, but I needed to do it fast before I started liking shopping or grew a vagina.

"So, how about it, Edward? You cool with that?" Tanya asked, mistaking that I was actually paying attention to her conversation.

"What? Sorry, I wasn't listening," I said honestly.

She rolled her eyes. "Alice wants to go to the Homecoming dance. She said she was going to see if that Jasper guy wouldn't mind being her date because she doesn't want to take her brothers, but she wants you to go as well so I said I would go with you because I'm pissed at Mike and don't want to go with him. Are you cool with that?"

Alice gave me a pleading look.

I let out a sigh that she instantly recognized as me agreeing so she squealed and jumped into my arms. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You're the best brother ever!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

That was when I heard chuckling coming from behind me. "You sure you're not fucking your sister, Masen?" It was Mike Newton, the asshole extraordinaire. For some reason, he thought he was safe on school grounds. He was sadly mistaken.

I stood up, getting ready to pound him into the linoleum when I felt a hand on my shoulder pushing me back down in my seat. "Fuck off, Mike." It was Tanya. She was starting to be a little less annoying.

"Don't be like that, baby. I said I was sorry, why don't you stop being difficult and I'll take you someplace special for Homecoming?" Mike said trying to sweet talk Tanya.

She stepped in front of me, flipping her hair and almost taking out my eye, and plopped into my lap. The move surprised me so much that I grabbed her around the waist out of instinct to keep her from falling.

"I'm going with Edward, Mike. If anyone is doing anything _special_ with me, it'll be him," she said as she obviously ground into me a little and then kissed my cheek. I looked up at Mike and he was positively fuming. I couldn't help but chuckle.

He spun around and stormed out of the cafeteria. Once he was out of site, Tanya hopped up and grabbed a napkin, wiping my cheek. "Sorry about that, but he's a fucking asshole and is delusional if he thinks he's ever going to get to do anything with me again. Bastard is way too rough," she muttered. Her blue eyes met mine, "I hope I didn't make you too uncomfortable," she said sincerely.

I looked back the way had Mike huffed off and then smiled at her. "It was worth it. Anything to piss off that fucker is golden in my book."

She punched my shoulder lightly. "Nice."

The rest of the lunch period was pretty uneventful. The girls continued to chat about the dance and I continued to ignore them.

**Bella**

Turned out nobody knew who Erik was, and I didn't get to see his face since he was wearing a mask. It was possible that he was the creepy guy in my Humanities lecture since he was just smiling at me weirdly, as if it was potentially because of what we had done in the laundry room.

That was the other thing that confused me. How could my body react that way with two different men? I never considered myself a whore. I usually didn't get involved with one man, let alone two; and none of them had ever made me feel like Edward or Erik. The only common denominator with both boys was the laundry room.

Did I have a laundry room fetish?

I contemplated trying it out to see if that was it.

I needed a control subject. Someone I knew I was not attracted to already. I just had to find a willing participant to kiss me in the laundry room and see if that was what set me off.

Thinking about the dryer didn't make me hot, but thinking about Edward with no shirt on clenched between my thighs with me on the dryer did.

So was it the boy or the place?

I found myself at Emmett's frat with Rose again. She had taken to dragging me along everywhere, pointing guys out left and right for me to 'talk' to, but I wasn't having any of it. I needed to solve my laundry room mystery first.

When we got there, Emmett and Jasper were throwing popcorn at each other, trying to catch it in their mouths.

Jasper!

He would work. I already knew I was not attracted to him like that and he was good enough of a friend that I could kiss him and not feel weird.

"Jasper, can you help me with something real quick?" I asked.

Jasper, the ever-courteous gentleman, agreed to help even before he knew what I was asking. "Sure, Bella, what do you need help with?"

"I need a hand with something in the washroom," I said walking out of the room before he could ask what I needed help with in their washroom.

He followed me into the washroom and I quickly closed the door, pinning him against it and kissed him with wild abandon.

He caught me in his arms, but he didn't really embrace me. I didn't feel like I was on fire or turned on at all.

"Huh," I said as I stepped back with my brow furrowed. It wasn't the laundry room. "Thanks," I said and walked out, leaving him a little stunned, but I wasn't about to tell him why I attacked him suddenly.

I only got half way across the kitchen when I felt him grab my wrist. "Bella, what was that all about?" he asked sounding concerned.

"I just needed to see something," I said with a shrug.

"See what?" he asked a little worried.

I felt a little embarrassed, but I somehow knew Jasper wouldn't be freaked out by my issue. I didn't really have a laundry room fetish; I just thought I did.

"I wanted to see if I had a laundry room fetish."

"A laundry room what?"

"The last couple of times I made out with guys, it was awesome and both were in the laundry room. I was curious to see if it was so good because of the guys or because I had a laundry room fetish."

"Well, do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Have a laundry room fetish?" he asked in a duh tone of voice.

"No, obviously not, we're still dressed," I said with a flourish of my hand, pointing out the obvious. "My boys just had skills," I said with a sigh and a head shake. I almost wished I had a laundry room fetish; it would have been a lot easier to deal with.

I was right about Jasper; he was cool with it. There was no awkwardness between us at all after that kiss. We both knew we were not meant for each other and we were happy just being friends.

I was surprised to find out that Jasper was taking Emmett's little sister, Alice, to her Homecoming dance. Apparently, she really wanted to go but didn't feel comfortable going with any of the boys at school. She outright refused to go with her brother for obvious reasons.

I thought it was sweet of Jasper to do. I had to laugh when I saw him surfing the web looking for a wrist corsage for her. He said he wanted it to be perfect for her.

That was when I saw it.

There was a certain twinkle in his eye when he spoke about going to the dance with Alice. This wasn't a favor; he was actually excited.

Oh, my god, he liked her! He was a bigger pedophile than me!

I tried to subtly point out the obvious. When we were all together, I asked Emmett how old Alice was. I was sure he would say twelve or thirteen given how tiny she was. Imagine my shock when he said seventeen.

"Seventeen? If she's seventeen, how old is Edward? I thought she was his little sister?" I was confused. Was my boy really older? Was he legal? I was wishing it was true, but I quickly tried to squash the hope bubbling up.

"Oh, he is older, but only by a few minutes. They're fraternal twins. That pair is inseparable. At first, I thought it was because Alice was having a hard time adjusting, but I hear now that she's doing pretty well, but he still stands around like a guard dog."

"He's just trying to look out for her, Emmett," I defended.

"Yeah, but he should have a life of his own. I mean really, he's taking my sisters friend, Tanya, to the dance just so he can keep an eye on her."

My heart clenched a little. What did I expect? He was still in high school; of course it would make sense to date a girl he went to school with.

"I just hope this Tanya chick helps pull him out of his shell like she did for Alice. Boy needs to lighten up," Emmett said with a little hope in his voice.

Tanya was probably good for him. I needed to let him go. Let him be a kid, having fun in high school like he should be. I needed to just get over myself. "I think I'm going to go," I said with a fake smile, "I have a paper due soon."

Everyone said goodbye, no one the wiser that I really was going home to cry my eyes out over a boy I barely knew but loved more than anything.

Damn, I was hopeless.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 15 – To Forks**

**Bella**

Emmett and Jasper were going to Forks, and since Emmett was going, Rose decided to go as well. I figured I'd go along and pay Charlie a visit. It was always nice to share the drive with someone, and I knew my dad would be happy to see me no matter when I popped in.

Apparently, Rose had promised to do all the girls' hair before the dance, so I made sure I had plans with my dad so I could escape any aesthetic attacks. I liked to look as pretty as the next girl, but a hen party with makeup, clothes, and hair product was something I considered to be cringe-worthy, especially withy Rose at the helm.

She called me about seven-thirty frantic, in dire need of bobby pins.

Right.

If it had been anyone else, I would have laughed and blown them off, but I lived with Rose and when she was upset about something, you listened or she would make you listen.

Needless to say, I was on my way to the local dollar store to pick up the hair pins because I valued my life.

When I arrived at the Cullen's, I felt very underdressed. Even Rose was dressed up for her date. Apparently, all the men had been banished from the house until 8:30 p.m., when they were scheduled to pick everyone up. It was already 8:00 p.m., so I was recruited to help finish up the girls' hair.

Once we were finished, the girls did exactly what I was worried they would do.

They attacked me.

Next thing I knew, I was sporting a tussled curly sex hair up-do with smoky eyes and heavily glossed lips. Alice was all over the place, trying to convince me to change my clothes. I declined everything they shoved in front of me. I finally agreed to wear the last thing she pulled out just to shut them up and back them off so I could get out of there. I shouldn't have agreed. Alice excitedly shoved me into the bathroom with a tiny matching black lace thong and a bra that pushed my boobs up and together, making them look like I had spent a fortune on getting them enlarged a few sizes. She then tossed in a short, low-cut little black dress with long lace sleeves that clung closely to my body and barely came down to mid-thigh, along with a pair of shiny black stilettos. I thought I looked like I was headed out to find a street corner. Ugh.

Damn teenagers!

Thank heavens the boys finally arrived.

I quickly escaped under the guise of letting the boys know they were ready and coming.

I ran down the stairs quickly, which was a mistake, because me running anywhere, even on a flat surface, was never a good thing. But throw in the stairs and stilettos and, well, let's just say I should have known better.

**Edward**

We had just walked in and I was about to go upstairs to get the girls when suddenly someone came flying down the stairs. They lost their footing near the bottom and so I quickly braced myself to catch them. It all happened so fast I didn't register who it was until they hit my arms. I knew instantly from the way my body reacted that it was Bella.

Instinctively, I pulled her closer to me. Damn, she looked positively edible!

She groaned and snuggled deeper into my arms. I cradled her close to me, nuzzling my face into her neck, inhaling deeply. "Are you alright?"

"Um, I think so."

Reluctantly, I stood her upright and let her go. She winced a little and I immediately wrapped my arms around her waist to support her. "I've got you."

"I'm fine, really. I think I just twisted my ankle a little. It'll be fine in a little while. I just need to walk it off," she said but made no move to pull away.

If she thought I was going to move away first, she was sadly mistaken. I was a sick bastard, savoring every second I had with my arms around her.

"Is everything alright?" Alice asked from the top of the stairs.

Bella made a move to leave my embrace, but she winced as she did so. Thankfully, Alice caught it as well.

"What happened? Are you alright, Bella?" Alice asked as she hurried down the stairs.

"Yes, I just twisted my ankle a little on these deathtrap heels, it'll be fine," she said moving away from me with a little bit of a limp.

"What happened, Edward?" Alice asked me because Bella was obviously not talking.

"She tripped on one of the steps. I caught her, but it seems she still hurt herself," I answered and Bella scowled at me. "What? It's true," I defended.

She pouted the most adorable pout. "I'm going to go. You guys have fun tonight."

"We will!" Alice called. "Thanks for your help, Bella."

Bella just smiled and waved as I watched her retreating form. She looked like she had a date, making my jealousy flare hotly. I wanted to follow her and spend the evening with her, not let some other asshole put his hands on her. I didn't want to spend the evening with Tanya. She was not what I wanted.

Alice grabbed my arm. "Are you ready?"

I remembered the reason why I was going. "Yeah, come on, Jasper's waiting," I said wrapping my arm around her.

**Bella**

By the time I got to my dad's, I wasn't limping anymore. My ankle was still tender, but I was determined not to let my father see it. It was nothing a little ibuprofen would not take care of.

I had just walked in front door when I heard the house phone ringing. I heard my father grumbling something, but I picked out my name clearly. "I'm sure she will be fine with it. See you in a while," he was saying as I walked into the kitchen just before he hung up.

"Hey, Dad," I said, wondering what he had just gotten us into.

"Hey, Bella, that was Mrs. Cope on the line. She said some of the chaperones for the high school dance tonight called in sick. You mind giving the old man a hand and keeping the kids under control?"

Kids.

He was right; they were just kids. "Sure, Dad."

Kid or not, I still wanted to see Edward.

I stood in the back of the gym where the dance was taking place. My father was walking around the room, 'working the beat' as he put it. I told him I would watch the back entrance and make sure no one tried to sneak off.

It seemed to appease him.

Around eleven o'clock, I noticed Edward with his date moving toward one of the exits. I had stayed out of sight so far, but I wanted to follow to see what was going on. His date seemed to be all over him.

Hey, I was a chaperone; it was my job, right?

I watched him cross the parking lot, fumbling with Tanya, and then he shoved her roughly into the back seat of his car. I turned away, not wanting to see him jump on her in the back seat, but then I heard the car door slam hard. I glanced up to see him leaning against his car with his head in his hands. He looked upset, not like someone who was excited about getting laid.

I knew I couldn't walk away from him now.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	16. Chapter 16

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 16 – Up against the wall**

**Edward**

I could not believe Tanya had gotten drunk. I had no idea where she had gotten the booze, but she was definitely impaired and horny as all get out. She was going to make a scene if I didn't get rid of her fast. I dragged her out to my car while trying to keep my goods safe, but she kept reaching for them as she attacked me.

For some reason, she just didn't get that I was not interested. I finally shoved her into the back seat and silently prayed that she would pass out or sober up. Tonight was a fucking nightmare. Alice so owed me big time.

"Edward," I heard Bella's voice call to me and for a moment, I thought I was hallucinating.

"Edward, are you alright?" she asked sounding a bit closer. I looked up to see a concerned Bella waiting for a response. She still looked amazingly sexy in that tiny black dress and those fuck me heels she was wearing. I was hard instantly.

Of course, just then Tanya decided to embarrass and disgust me to no end. "OH, EDWARD! SO FUCKING GOOD!" she screamed.

I turned to see what the hell she was doing and greatly regretted it. Her bare ass was pressed to the window and she was rubbing her crotch against the door.

I almost puked and my wood instantly fell. Fuck, I was going to have to get my damn car detailed. Badly. I jumped away from the car, cursing Alice and her sick, drunken friend. That was when I heard it, the most beautiful sound in the world.

Bella's laugh.

I looked over at her, surprised by her reaction. She was laughing so hard that she was bent over gasping for breath, her prominent cleavage heaving with the effort and making me harden up again. I walked over and stood her back up.

"You find my predicament amusing do you?"

"Oh, no, I was just thinking that you're so awesome that you don't even need to be there to give a girl an orgasm."

I groaned and rolled my eyes.

She tried to keep a straight face but failed, laughing hysterically at me. I guess that was at least one good thing from this horrible night. I got to listen to Bella laugh.

"Come on, Edward, it's funny and you know it."

"I'm going to have to get the car detailed and then sell it. I don't think I'll ever be able to look at it the same."

She was still giggling as she walked to the edge of the parking lot toward the dark side of the school. She leaned against the wall and I couldn't stop myself from pinning her there by putting my hands on either side of her, looking down at her amused pink cheeks.

"You find my defiled car amusing?" I asked holding back my laugh, trying to look threatening.

"Mmm hmm," she said smiling and biting her lip.

I couldn't take it anymore. "You'll pay for that," I said and then grabbed her, kissing her roughly, taking what I wanted from her.

I pulled away panting and she was gasping for air. I loved the way she felt against me so I kept her pressed against my body. She didn't seem to mind. In fact, she seemed to enjoy it the way she wound her hands into my hair and wrapped her leg around my thigh, holding me closer.

She looked up at me timidly before releasing me and stepping away. I wondered what was wrong.

"I'm sorry, Edward."

"Sorry about what?" She shook her head at me and turned away. "What's wrong, Bella?" I pushed.

She looked down sadly. "There was this guy…" My heart clenched for half a second but, then she continued. "His name was Erik; I met him at Emmett's Halloween party. I kind of made out with him."

I surprised her by pulling her back against me, her back against my front. "And what did you do with this Erik?" I asked knowing full well what had happened.

I thought it was cute that she felt guilty.

My hand slid up her waist to her breast and she stuttered, "I…ah…um…"

"Have you seen him again since?" I asked kissing her neck.

"No."

I smiled against her neck and nibbled her ear. "Why are we discussing this then?"

"I just thought you should know," she said turning around. She looked unsure and then finally asked, "Have you been with anyone else since we, um, kissed?"

I shook my head no and backed her against the bricks. "I have no desire for anyone else, Bella."

She looked at me worried. "What if you do and you just don't know it?"

"What?"

"I didn't want Erik, but he convinced me to kiss him and it was…" she paused, "Good?"

"Good? Only good? Hmm, I guess I'm going to have to change my major again," I said teasing her, waiting to see if she caught on.

"Major?" she asked and I smirked.

"Yes, I was going to study music, but then this beautiful girl asked me to major in psychology. I was sort of looking forward to being called Dr. E. Of course, now I'm thinking if I can't kiss…"

I was cut off by a fist pounding against my chest. "YOU BRAT! How could you tease me like that? I thought I was going insane."

I grabbed her, squeezing her tightly in my arms. "I wanted you, Bella. I've always wanted you, but sometimes I don't think I'm good for you. You do need someone like Erik; in college, smart, with a future."

She pulled my face down to hers. "That's exactly what you are. Well, not in college yet, but you will be someday, Edward. You're what I want. Even if that makes me mentally screwed up for wanting a boy."

I pressed my cock against her firmly, silently protesting the 'boy' comment and she got what I meant. She moaned and rubbed back against me. God, she was heaven.

I backed her up against the wall again, kissing her roughly. She tasted so good I couldn't get enough of her. She wrapped her legs around me, grinding me further into heaven.

I didn't plan on seeing her tonight. Now I truly wished I had protection on me.

"So good, and not even in a laundry room," she moaned and I had to chuckle. I guess the laundry room had become our place.

"I want you, Edward," she begged.

I groaned in response.

Then I heard a clearing of a throat.

Both of our heads snapped in the direction it had come from. "Bella," a deep voice called, "I'm heading home now. I guess you're catching a ride with Edward?"

Bella's face was hot against my neck and I could imagine it was a deep red. "Oh, my god," she whispered and then called to the voice, "Yeah, Dad, um, thanks."

"Sure thing, Bells; and Edward, please take your hand off my daughter's breast."

I hadn't even realized it was still there. I jerked it away panicked. Chief Swan carried a gun and was a big man. I was defiling his daughter right in front of him.

"I guess I'll see you later tonight then?" he asked Bella.

She cleared her throat, "Um, yeah, Dad."

"Right then, be safe," he said and then we heard his footsteps leading away.

Oh, shit.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 17 - What to do**

**I had a little fun with some movie lines in this chapter. I'm sure you guys can pick them out. **

**Bella**

Oh, shit! My dad had caught me groping a boy. He had caught me groping Edward! I was so screwed.

I could tell by his tone of voice that he would be waiting up for me. He wanted to talk. I didn't want to talk. Not about this, not about how sick I was for lusting after and corrupting a sweet boy like Edward.

I was so going to hell.

"Bella," his warm voice pulled me out of my head, "Whatever you're thinking, stop it," he begged.

"Edward, I..."

"No, Bella, I'm serious," he cut me off, "Whatever it is, stop it. It can't be as bad as you think."

"I'm…I'm in so much trouble," I stuttered.

He smiled his perfectly crooked smile at me. "Now why would you be in trouble?"

"How old are you?"

He answered reluctantly, "Seventeen."

"And how long have you been seventeen?"

He shrugged, "A while." I narrowed my eyes at his cheekiness. "I'll be eighteen in June, so yeah, I'm under aged. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"No, I wanted to hear that you're eighteen now. No, better yet, twenty-one, and that you can room with me at college," I whined and leaned frustrated against the building.

"Give me a few days. I know a guy that could make me any age you want. Hell, I could even be a doctor. I just have to ask him for the right papers," he offered with a twinkle of laughter in his eyes.

I pouted in response.

"I only want you, Bella, no matter your age. Besides, when you're seventy-five, I'll be seventy-one and no one will care about our age anymore. They'll just think that we look cute sitting on the front porch together in our rockers."

He said the sweetest things. I couldn't help but fall into his arms. I needed to feel him close to me. If I was going to have to give him up, I would savor every last minute with him.

June. He would be eighteen in June.

"When do you graduate?" I asked peeking up at him.

He smiled down at me. "Actually, I plan on taking my GED and getting out of this Podunk town. I don't think I could stand another year at that school, especially with the likes of Tanya after me," he shivered a little and I giggled at his disgusted expression.

"Oh, I'm sure I wasn't much better when I was drunk," I teased, seriously wondering what happened that night.

"Oh, you were just as eager as Tanya was and it made it very difficult to be a gentleman as you stripped naked for me and pulled me into your bed," he said smirking. I blushed furiously. I didn't think it would have been that bad.

"Luckily, I was able to get a shirt on you before you passed out. I don't think I could have resisted the temptation of your body all night. Really, I'm only a man."

He was teasing me, the snot!

He was a gentleman and I knew it. It was time to change the subject and talk more seriously. "I don't think you should drop out."

"I'm not. I'm getting my GED."

"I know, but you shouldn't just throw everything away you worked so hard for. I mean, where would you go once you got it?" Once he had it, there would be nothing tying him here. I didn't know if I would see him ever again.

He pulled me tight against him. "I don't know, I was thinking of joining you at college. Would you be opposed to that?"

I leaped on him, knocking him to the ground and kissing him fiercely. "I definitely like the idea of you joining me at college."

He grabbed my hips, grinding them against him as I kissed him again. "Good. Now shall I study music or psychology?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Oh, you!" I couldn't believe it had been him all along!

We spent the rest of the evening talking, laughing, and planning for the future.

For a boy of only seventeen, he seemed more like a man of thirty. Most of his plans centered on caring for his sister and I wondered if she knew that. I told him we should see about getting a house to share with Emmett, Rose, Jasper, and Alice. He seemed to like the idea.

I wondered if he knew how Jasper felt about Alice. I thought it best not to tell him, as it might hinder our plans. Besides, Jasper was a good man. Well, no worse than I for loving someone a bit younger.

We called Jasper and traded cars with him so Alice could help Tanya to bed. We failed to inform them of what had happened in the back seat. I didn't think Edward would be driving that car again anytime soon.

We pulled up to my dad's house about three o'clock in the morning. I was hoping Charlie would be in bed, but somehow I knew he was waiting. I was glad Edward and I had gotten a chance to talk tonight about what we wanted in the future so when my father grilled me, I would have a way to answer him.

"It's a bit late for Edward to still be out isn't it?" my dad asked, letting me know I was not getting away with not talking to him. I stepped into the living room where he was waiting for me.

"He said he wouldn't get in trouble," I answered a little unsure.

He grunted in response.

"Isn't he a bit young for you?" Charlie asked.

"He's a junior, I'm a junior."

"Bella, he's a junior in high school, you're a junior in college, there's a difference. You're playing with fire, Bells. He's just a kid."

"He's not just a kid, Dad. He's incredibly mature for his age and he'll be starting college next year. He's finishing high school early to join me at college."

"Honey, you have to be careful with this. What do his parents think about this?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. We just decided to be exclusive."

"Just do me a favor, Bells, don't do anything stupid," he said with a sigh, flopping down on the couch and pulling the blanket over him. "Talk to his parents, Bella. If you get the okay from them, I'll be okay with it, too."

I stood frozen on the steps. I didn't want to talk to his parents about us.

"I mean it, Bella. I talk to Carlisle so I'll know. I don't want you getting in any trouble. It could end up costing you both your futures, especially you with being the older one. Just…be careful."

He was right and I hated that he was.

What the hell was I going to do?

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	18. Chapter 18

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 18 - Hell in a Hand Basket**

**Bella**

Rose called me the next afternoon and asked if my dad could give me a ride over to the Cullen's so we could leave straight from there. My dad readily agreed, but I didn't think it was for the reasons I hoped for.

When we pulled up out front, Dr. Cullen and Emmett were loading the Jeep with Rose's luggage. They both were huffing and puffing, trying to load her heavy bags. Some things never changed when it came to Rose.

When Dr. Cullen saw Charlie, he smiled and greeted him. "Hey, Chief Swan, small world isn't it? Your daughter just happens to be the same Bella that helped save two of my kids back in Vegas." He shook Charlie's hand and patted me on the shoulder. "Bella, it's good to see you again. I don't want you to be a stranger. You're family now," he said smiling and I felt a little guilty for corrupting his son.

"Bella!" Alice called to me, jumping off the porch and running over to me. I took her into my arms and hugged her tight. I practically had to bend over to do it because she was so tiny. She felt like a little sister to me, even though she was the same age as the boy I loved.

"Hey, Alice."

"Come on, we don't have much time. I want to tell you all about the dance!" she said eagerly pulling me into the house. She dragged me up the stairs, but instead of taking me to her room, she winked at me and pushed opened what seemed to be the door to Edward's room.

He was lying across his bed, shirt off and eyes closed, his arms folded under his head as he listened to some ear buds. He had a small smile on his face and looked positively gorgeous.

"Go on," Alice encouraged with a wink as she pushed me forward into his room and then closed the door behind me. Edward didn't even move. His eyes didn't open. He had no idea I was standing there admiring his muscular chest. The longer I stood there, the more I felt like I was intruding, but I couldn't pull my eyes off him. I had to wipe the side of my mouth because I was actually drooling just staring at his chiseled abs.

"Are you just going to stand there staring?" his voice startled me. My eyes looked up to his face to find a satisfied smirk. He had caught me shamelessly checking him out. "Are you done ogling your boyfriend?" he asked with a smile that had me practically hyperventilating.

I quickly composed myself and shrugged in response. "Well, he is my boyfriend, am I not allowed to ogle freely?"

"You are, but said boyfriend would like to do more than ogle you," he said sitting up and reaching his hand out to me. I let him take mine and pull me down onto the bed with him. He felt so comfortable, so right. I snuggled into his side as he played with my hair and tickled my back.

"I'm going to miss you," I whispered not really wanting him to hear it.

"You should; if you didn't, I'd be worried."

I looked up at him pouting.

"Oh, my beautiful Bella, I'll miss you, too." As he said those words, he didn't seem seventeen anymore. He held me like a man would hold a woman, and as I looked into his eyes, I wondered what had aged him so much. Before I could ask, his lips were pressed to mine and he pinned me to his bed. His kisses were intoxicating and I was on the verge of losing all reason. When his lips were against mine, I could deny him nothing.

It was too easy to get lost in the feel of Edward pressed against me. My hands were in his hair, his lips on my neck as he explored my body, rubbing against me and causing me to moan out his name. I didn't want to give this up.

His movements were tentative as we learned each other. I could tell he was inexperienced, but he made up for it with his enthusiasm. My boy was amazing as he touched me gently, letting his fingertips glide softly over my heated skin. He smiled as goose bumps rippled across my body at his touch, my nipples puckering almost painfully in anticipation.

His hand inched down to my waist, pausing only moments before he flipped open the button on my pants. His eyes met mine, looking for approval. I just pulled him back to my lips, not wanting him to stop. My hand slid down his back to the edge of his sweatpants. I was breathing hard when I pulled back to see if it was okay. He followed my lead, kissing me roughly as I slid my hand into his pants, grabbing his ass and squeezing it. God, he was perfect. He bucked hard against me. I could feel him easily through his sweatpants and suddenly I wanted him naked.

"I want you so bad," I moaned, pushing against his hand that had worked its way into my pants. He had never touched me before and now that he was doing it, it was pushing me over the edge of sanity and reason.

"Me, only me," he growled in my ear.

"Yes, only you, oh, Edward, it's only ever been you," I panted out.

He devoured my lips as he pushed me to the edge of oblivion. His other hand pulled my shirt up over my head and out of his way before he popped the clasp on my bra and pulled it off roughly. His mouth nipped at my breast. "So beautiful," he mumbled against my skin.

He worked his way back up my neck as his hands shoved my pants and panties off, leaving me bare before him.

"I want you Bella, more than anything in my life I want you," he said as he kissed me desperately and I matched his pace. I wanted him as well.

Then I felt it.

Him. Pressing firmly against me, hard and hot.

My hand slid down his back, finding his bare ass, not knowing just when his pants had come down, but they were and he was pressed against me, caught between my thighs, just inches away from being inside me. He felt heavenly as he moved against me. I knew I needed to stop him. We needed to talk before we did this. We had to get things settled with his parents first, but he was clouding my mind as he moved against me.

Soon, the only words coming out of my mouth were, "I want you."

He nodded in response, grabbing my knees and pulling them up as he slammed down into me in one swift movement. It hurt like hell for a moment as I adjusted to his size, but then all I could focus on was him. This was not how I had expected this to happen, but I didn't want to stop him. He seemed to need me so much.

And I needed him.

I held on to him for dear life as he drove into me, his name on my lips as I whispered my love for him, but our time together came to an end too soon. I buried my face in his chest to muffle my moaning as I held onto him. His body stiffened over me, spilling inside of me as he groaned my name. I pulled him down to me kissing him softly, trying to catch my breath as I whispered that I loved him. My boy was now truly mine.

**A/N: Thanks for** **reading and please review!**


	19. Chapter 19

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 19 – Like it really is**

**Edward**

Perfect, cloud nine. I didn't know how else to describe it, but it was heaven, the warmth that surrounded me, hugging me tightly, pulling me deeper. It was like every part of her was begging me to stay inside of her and I wanted to so badly. I wanted to stay there forever, never leaving my beautiful Bella.

My Bella.

She was mine now.

All mine.

She whispered that she loved me as I moved inside of her and I kissed her, letting her know I loved her, too. I had never felt this way about anyone.

Only her.

She was my only need.

My only weakness.

I found my release, filling her as my body was wracked with waves of passion ripping through me powerfully.

I held her tightly as I slowed my breathing enough to speak. I kissed her skin softly, tasting her sweet flesh, it was mine.

She was mine.

"You're mine," I growled in her ear.

I felt her smile against my cheek as she pressed her lips to my ear, "Only ever yours, Edward, only yours."

I licked the cool sweat off her skin and she giggled. I looked up to her face to see her smile. She pulled my face to hers and brushed her lips against mine before finally pressing them against mine firmly. Her lips opened, taking me inside of her mouth. Her tongue flicked around mine before finally settling down into a soft rhythm of sucking. I was hard again almost instantly.

We were about to start round two when there was a rough knocking on the door that caused us to jump, bursting our private bubble. I quickly jumped up, pulling on my pants and flopping my blanket over Bella. I went to the door, only opening it a crack.

"Edward, have you seen Bella?" Esme asked. "Rose and Emmett are ready to leave and Jasper and Bella are missing."

I cleared my throat, getting ready to lie when I felt the door being pulled out of my hand. "Hello," Bella said with a sweet smile, "I didn't mean to keep them waiting. I was just taking a minute to see how Edward was doing."

I hated that she didn't just say I was saying goodbye to my boyfriend, because that was what I was supposed to be.

I didn't want to be denied. I refused to be denied.

I grabbed her and pressed her against the wall, kissing her roughly, pressing all of me against her. She would not forget who she belonged to when she was away.

It took a moment, but her hands found their place in my hair. I was getting lost in my girl, so I didn't hear Esme clear her throat or the first couple of times she said my name.

"EDWARD! Good heavens, boy, let the girl breathe!" she shouted and I finally let up a little.

Bella was panting and swaying so I held her in my arms a moment longer.

"I'm going to miss you," I said kissing her forehead.

She smiled up at me. "I'll miss you, too."

I kissed her neck and she hummed in pleasure. Esme cleared her throat again and Bella grabbed my shoulders a little surprised, like she had just realized we were not alone.

"Oh, my," Bella whispered worried.

"Bella, may I have a word with you privately?" Esme asked.

Bella looked at me nervously. "Goodbye, Edward."

The way she said it made me nervous. It sounded too final.

**Bella**

Damn him for making me lose myself in front of his mom! Oh, hell, how was I supposed to explain this? Make it sound right, good?

I followed her down the hall to an open door. It looked like a library. She walked over to a wingback chair and motioned for me to take the one across from her.

She smiled softly at me before she spoke. "Bella, it seems Edward is quite taken with you. He doesn't really interact with anyone other than Alice and occasionally Emmett, so it was a bit shocking for me to see him react the way he did with you?" she spoke carefully, as if asking me if what she saw really happened.

I just smiled, trying not to blush too deeply and nodded my head in the affirmative, waiting for her to go on.

"You see, Edward is not a social creature and I fear he's really missing out on a lot of the good things his life has to offer him now. He's expressed to me that he wants to either be home schooled or gain his GED. The fact is, I think he's a homebody; a borderline agoraphobic was what the doctor said. The only reason he leaves the house is if Alice tells him to, otherwise he stays in his room and waits until he's needed."

"I don't think that's true. If he was agoraphobic, he wouldn't have been able to perform with the band at my birthday party. Even Alice got up to sing with him," I defended. Edward was not as broken as she made him out to be.

"Yes, well, he tends to do whatever Alice asks him and I suspect it was she that asked him to perform?"

"Yes, but he was up there for most of the evening without her."

"I know, sometimes he seems so normal, like nothing is wrong, but at other times..." She looked towards his room, "Bella, he's a runner. When we adopted him and his sister, we were warned that he would most likely run away and we should secure the premises. The problem is he never ran. Not of his own free will. When we first brought the twins home, Alice refused to speak to anyone but Edward and he would wait on her hand and foot, making sure she was happy and comfortable. I thought it was just because he trusted us and he wanted her to trust us as well, but as time went on and Alice began to open up, I noticed Edward stayed in his roll of caretaker. She still comes first for him and what she says goes. If she tells him not to see you anymore, he would stop. He's not his own man."

I couldn't believe what she was telling me. I didn't understand what she was saying. "What about that night I found him? That night we came to you for help?"

Esme smiled sadly. "He'd just escaped the group home they'd been living in with Alice in tow. He found a safe place for her to hide and she sent him to go get help because she was worried about him. As you saw, he'd gotten into another fight because one of the other boys had tried to rape Alice in her sleep. He nearly killed the boy in a rage, which is another issue altogether that he's dealing with. He was coming to see us on her orders."

I must have looked baffled because Esme patted my hand, smiling at me knowingly.

"I know it's a lot to take in, Bella, but Edward is not as together or as mature as he seems to be. There are things he struggles with that he needs help learning how to deal with. It helps to understand that they came from a loving home originally. Their mother, Elizabeth Masen, loved them both very much and they had a happy childhood until she passed away. They have no other known family and their father had left before they were born and his identity is unknown, so the kids were put into the system when she died. Because they refused to be separated and because Edward was a teenage boy, it was impossible at the time to find a place for them in a standard foster home, so they were placed in group homes.

"It wasn't safe for Alice in those places and Edward learned to fight off the others to keep Alice's virtue intact. That's where he learned to fight. The places were horrible, housing kids that most likely needed to be in detention instead of a home environment. Life was miserable for them at those places and Edward felt it was his fault and has done whatever she's asked of him since, trying to make it up to her and keep her safe. I'm afraid that devotion has turned into something more, something psychologically impairing, and he'll need to work through that in order to be able to have a normal life."

That explained a lot.

"He's a good guy," was all I said, not sure what else to say.

"I know, dear, but he still needs a lot of help and I'm afraid a relationship with you right now, the kind he wants, may cause problems with his recovery."

"You don't want him to see me?"

"Just for a while, he's in therapy with his sister and making excellent progress. I just don't want it to stop," she said standing up and patting me on the shoulder.

I was fighting back tears.

"I know you do truly care for him, Bella. You're a mature, intelligent woman who'll want what's best for him, and that's why I know you'll help me help him get better. If you're to be happy together, both of your futures depend on it."

I nodded my head in agreement, choking back a sob. I looked up at her, fighting my tears. "When he's better, will you let him know I still want to see him, please?" I begged. "I'll be waiting for him. He's so worth it."

Esme seemed reasonable as she smiled warmly at me. "You'll be the first one he calls, dear, I promise. I'll make sure of it."

I stood up and hugged her tightly, understanding why she wanted me to leave my boy alone, but he needed to know that I still loved him. "Can I say goodbye?"

"Of course, dear," she said leading me to the door.

I knocked lightly on the door and opened it. Edward was sitting on the edge of his bed with his head in his hands. He smiled when he saw it was me, but it faltered when he saw I was crying.

He quickly crossed the room, wrapping me up in his arms. "What's wrong, what happened? What did she say?"

I didn't answer any of his questions, I just hugged him tighter. "What's wrong, Bella?" he asked a little more frantic.

I pulled his face to mine, looking him straight in the eye. "I love you. Don't ever think that I don't because I do, Edward, only you." I kissed him softly not wanting to stop, but I finally pulled away. "Come find me when you're ready. I'll be waiting," I said as I squeezed his hand and then walked out the door, leaving my heart behind.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	20. Chapter 20

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 20 - Separation Anxiety**

**Edward**

I was anxious to see Bella for Thanksgiving weekend, but Emmett let me know she was going to her mother's for the holiday in Arizona. Apparently, she had been really homesick for her. At least that was what I kept telling myself. If I could see my mother, I would.

Then Christmas break came.

I even went shopping with Alice to find Bella the perfect gift. It was a small and simple charm bracelet. It was nearly impossible to find a charm for a laundry room. I ended up just getting a sock-shaped charm to represent it. There was a little guitar for her birthday party. Then theatre masks for our Halloween make out session.

It took me a while to come up with something for making out in the parking lot. I didn't want to use a car because I never wanted to be reminded of what had happened in my car that night with Tanya so I settled on a school house charm. I did press her up against one after all.

Of course, I didn't forget our very first meeting in Vegas. I went with the standard dice because I thought a police shield would just remind her of her dad. The last and final charm was a heart that represented our first time together intimately and the last time I had seen her.

I was more than a little anxious, so when Emmett came in and told me she had flown out to her mom's again for Christmas, I tried to keep my cool.

Yeah, I tried.

I might have smashed a glass pitcher of eggnog and tried to pass it off as an accident. I had a feeling Emmett knew better, though.

Therapy with Alice was annoying.

Alice would chat for most of the hour as I sat and ignored whatever the hell they were talking about. That was until one day, the therapist asked Alice a question that caught my attention.

"Are you a virgin, Alice?" Dr. Kate asked.

I expected Alice to just say yes straight out, but she paused and blushed.

"Um, well, see..." Alice started and I looked at her shocked.

"No one got to you, right? I kept you safe?" I begged she would say yes.

She let out a huff. "That's not what I meant. I am a virgin, it's just…"

"Just what, Alice?" I pushed starting to get annoyed.

She pouted. "You wouldn't understand! You aren't with anyone and you're still a virgin so you don't know what it's like to…"

Before I realized what I was saying, I cut her off. "I'm not a virgin."

Alice's eyes grew wide and I realized my mistake. I was just pissed she was saying I didn't understand shit because I was something I wasn't.

"What? WHO?" she pushed.

I just glared at her and growled, "None of your business, Alice," hoping that she would get the drift that I was not talking about this in front of Dr. Kate.

Of course, Dr. Kate didn't let it go. "Do you regret having sex, Edward?"

"NO!" I snapped. It wasn't any of her business, either.

She just nodded and scribbled something down.

"Were you in love or was this just for pleasure?"

"What?" I was getting pissed.

"Love or pleasure, Edward?"

"Both, and it's still none of your fucking business!" I yelled.

She just fucking smiled and nodded like she approved of fucking around as long as you loved someone. I knew there was more to it. I realized that a little too late, though. I started to worry that I was not enough for Bella and that was why she was avoiding me.

I tried not to think too much about it, though. I was still hoping deep down that she really did just miss her mom and wanted to see her. Another part of me was completely terrified that she was staying away for another reason. One I wouldn't like.

**Bella**

Staying away from Edward was absolute torture.

I was miserable and it took everything in me not to just hop in my truck and drive down to see him every weekend. I missed him so much. I needed him so badly. There was no hiding it. My stomach stayed upset from my nerves, everything tasted and smelled like dirt, and all I wanted to do was sleep. If I couldn't see my boy, I didn't want anything else.

There was no explanation for my deepening depression, so when Rose asked if I was homesick, I just said yes. She didn't need to know my home was in his arms.

I was homesick for him.

It was ridiculous for me to feel this way, but after being with him and talking all night, after making love and seeing how much he needed me, too, I was slowly going insane being away from him.

I went to my mother's for Thanksgiving and I noticed that the pain was slightly more bearable when I wasn't within driving distance of Edward. I decided right away that I would come back for Christmas.

When I was visiting for Christmas, though, my mother suggested I transfer to Florida U, which was near where she was getting ready to move to soon. She had noticed my lethargy and my pallor from not eating well and thought I needed more sun. After a few days of mulling it around in my head, I finally agreed. Apparently, it was the best Christmas present I could have given her because she was thrilled.

I wondered how Edward would take the news. A part of me wanted him to be upset, but deep inside of me I couldn't help but hope for his sake that he would get over me. I had said I would wait for him, and my heart always would, but he was just a boy with his whole life ahead of him, and as incredible as he was, he deserved someone just as amazing. Somehow, I was sure I would be easy to get over, even though a tiny part of me hoped I wasn't.

The evil side of me was happy that I was able to be with him at least once. Edward didn't seem the slutty type and so I hoped he would forever cherish that little part of me I had left with him as we had been intimate.

I knew I would never forget him.

Rose was livid when I returned to Seattle with the news of my transferring to Florida. She didn't want me to leave her, but I knew Emmett would keep an eye out for her. They had become so close and it made me smile to think of them together.

I packed up all my stuff and shipped it to my mother's new house in Jacksonville. I would be staying with her for a semester while I got my bearings in Florida, and then I would get my own place. The whole time I was packing, my heart ached. I wanted to see my boy so badly, and many times, I almost got in my car and drove to the Cullen's just so I could feel his arms around me again. However, I had promised Esme I would stay away, so I did.

I was supposed to stay in Seattle for a New Year's party, but I wasn't feeling well, and without being able to enjoy it with Edward, I didn't feel like partying so I took an earlier flight and left for Florida. I didn't bother to stay up for New Years. Why should I with no one to kiss at midnight? I was still having problems eating and I was so tired, both physically and emotionally, so I just slept through it after downing a pint of Haagen-Dazs rocky road with melted peanut butter and chocolate syrup poured on for good measure. Missing Edward was proving to be fattening, and exhausting. It took every ounce of willpower I had in me to stay away from him.

I just hoped the distance would help.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	21. Chapter 21

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 21 - Crumble**

**Edward**

Something was wrong.

Something had to be wrong. She wouldn't just leave me and not say a word. I tried to remember the last thing she said to me.

She loved me, she told me never to forget that she loved me and to come find her when I was ready.

Ready for what?

I didn't understand what she was trying to say when she said it and I still didn't understand it now.

If she loved me, why had she left me?

I tried to figure out what had happened that day before she left. It seemed like everything was going perfectly. We had everything planned out and now she had gone and fucked it up.

She had left and I didn't know where she was.

These same thoughts ran circles around my head, eventually all coming down to one person who might have some answers.

She had talked to Esme before she left.

She was fine until Esme pulled her into the other room and talked to her. Obviously, whatever she had said ruined everything with Bella and me. Why didn't she just let me lie and say she wasn't there?

I knew why. That wasn't her style. Bella didn't lie.

I knew this, it was a fact, like the sky was blue, grass was green, and Bella didn't lie. If this was a fact, then she still loved me.

I recalled her words with perfect clarity.

_"I love you. Don't ever think that I don't because I do, Edward, only you."_

I recalled the tears in her eyes, the urgent look on her face, the desperation in her voice that I didn't recognize at the time, but now as I played it over and over in my head, it was all perfectly clear.

She knew she wasn't coming back.

_"Come find me when you're ready,"_ she had said almost begging.

I shot from my bed and ran to my door. It took me fucking long enough to put the pieces together, but it finally clicked.

Esme!

She had sent her away.

My girl would not have left me on her own accord, it was all fucking Esme!

"ESME!" I shouted down the stairs, running with the force to rival an elephant herd.

She poked her head out of the kitchen with a worried look on her face. "Is everything alright? Are you okay?" she asked worried with sincere concern.

If she hadn't taken my girl from me, I think I would have settled down and used a respectful tone. That was not the case however. She had run my girl off and had left me miserable for no fucking reason!

"WHAT DID YOU TELL HER?" I shouted at her.

She looked at me confused. "Alice?" she asked not knowing what I was talking about. It had been months since she had talked to Bella, but the impact she had made on her would have been memorable.

"NO, BELLA! What did you tell her? I know it was you! You're the reason she stays away!" I was seething and the fact that she didn't deny anything didn't help.

She waved me into the kitchen.

When I stomped into the room, she was sitting at the table with a steaming cup of tea.

"Tea?" she offered even though I was scowling at her.

I shook my head no to her peace offer.

She let out a sigh and leaned back in her chair. "Edward, how are things going with you and Dr. Kate?"

My scowl tightened. This was not what I wanted to discuss.

"That's what I thought," she said with a sigh. "She said you aren't talking to her, dear, and that worries me. I know you don't see it, but your relationship with Alice is not normal."

"What?" I asked appalled.

"Edward, it's normal to be protective of your sister, but you're controlled by Alice to a point where it's stunting your own growth and inhibiting your quality of life."

"My life will be fine when you give me Bella back!" I snapped.

She shook her head at me. "Sweetheart, what would you do if Alice and Bella had a falling out?"

"What? They didn't," I said a little unsure. Alice knew why I was miserable. She wouldn't have sent her away.

"They haven't yet, dear, but with girls, it's always a possibility."

"What are you talking about?" She was just being confusing now.

"Edward, girls are territorial, more so than boys in some ways, we're just more subtle about it. Right now, you're most definitely Alice's and only Alice's."

I looked at her confused.

"What would you do, Edward, if Alice, your only family, came to you and said she hated Bella and never wanted you to see her again?"

My chest ached at just the thought. I shook my head no, unable to speak.

"You have to fix this before you can have a healthy relationship with anyone, Edward."

I shook my head no; I didn't want her to be right. She was wrong. Bella made me happy. Alice wanted me to be happy; she wouldn't keep Bella from me.

"Is it really fair to Bella?"

"FUCK THAT!"

"Fine, Edward, if you're really fine, if you can really leave on your own without Alice, be my guest and go to Bella. It was my mistake, if you're ready, go on!" she encouraged with a flourish of her arm.

Go, that was all I had to do. GO. Leave Alice here and go. I could find Bella, be with her, and Esme wouldn't stop me.

I tried to stand, but my body was stiff. I tried to move, but I couldn't.

Alice.

She was right.

I was too worried to leave Alice alone. Who would take care of her? She still had bad dreams at night.

I rubbed my face roughly in defeat.

"Edward, do you see how this would not be fair to her? Don't you think she deserves to be more than second best?"

I groaned. I hated that she was right. I didn't want her to be right.

"You need to talk to Dr. Kate, dear, or if you prefer, we can get you a male therapist?"

I cut her off. "NO!" I said trying to calm myself. "No, I'll talk to her," I promised.

Esme smiled her worried motherly smile and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. "If it's any consolation, I really think that girl loves you," she said and kissed my head.

I chuckled darkly. I hoped she did, but then again, if she did, she would be hurting just like I was and that really sucked. I was hurting my girl because I was a fuck up.

It seemed like I was always hurting the people I loved.

Esme rubbed my back a few moments, trying to comfort me when Alice came skipping into the kitchen.

"What died in your pudding?" Alice asked.

We both flinched minutely. Our mother would always ask us that because one time a fly actually died in our pudding so we were pouting. It was a sure way to get a smile then.

Now it just hurt when it was said on accident.

"Edward was thinking of going on a trip," Esme answered to my surprise.

"Really? Where? Am I coming, too?" she asked excitedly.

"No," Esme answered for me again, "Just Edward will be going on his own."

"Is that safe? Shouldn't I go with him? He shouldn't be alone," Alice protested.

And that was the first time I saw the 'territory' Esme had talked about. I knew there was no way in hell Alice would let me go anywhere without her.

Fuck.

Later that day in therapy, Alice divulged what she knew about Bella, saying that she knew I had been upset because I hadn't seen her. She said she knew I had feelings for her and approved of her for me.

Dr. Kate looked at Alice a little warily.

"Alice, what if Edward met another girl? One you didn't know whom you might not approve of? Would you let him date her?"

"Edward doesn't really date," she said not answering the question.

"What if I wanted to? What if I want to leave and move away?" I snapped before I even realized the words were out of my mouth.

Alice gapped at me. "You wouldn't! You wouldn't leave me!"

I let out a sigh of exasperation.

"Edward, would you like to leave?" Dr. Kate asked.

My worried eyes found Alice. "Yes. I want to go find Bella. I want to be with her."

"What about school? You can't just drop out!" Alice shouted at me.

"Alice, settle down and let Edward speak. And just so you know, there are schools all over, he can go anywhere."

Alice's eyes blinked in shock, her mouth gapped. I felt horrible for the shock I was putting her through. She looked at me with wide, tear-filled eyes, crumbling my resolve.

"I'll stay, Alice," I finally mumbled in defeat.

"How does it make you feel, Edward? To have to stay?" Dr. Kate clarified.

I groaned, rubbing my face and stared at the carpet. I just shook my head, and when I looked up at Alice, she answered for me.

"He's miserable," she said with tears running down her face. "Oh, my god, I'm a monster. He's miserable because of me!"

I pulled her into my arms to calm her.

I looked up at Dr. Kate for help, but she was just smiling all smug and shit which just pissed me off.

"I have an assignment for you two. I want you to spend the weekends away from each other. I don't care if Edward goes camping with Dr. Cullen or Alice spends the weekend with a friend in town. Just make sure it's apart, with absolutely no contact with each other. If you become too upset to maintain no contact, you're allowed to write letters to each other. Not email, but regular slow mail."

Tanya had been after Alice to spend the night for months now. I guess she finally had a reason to give it a try. I had to admit I was scared for her. I didn't like her going away with people I didn't like.

It was then I realized I was just as bad as she was.

Fuck! No wonder Esme was sending people away and making us see a therapist.

"Edward, it looks like you just realized something. Can you tell me what it is?" Dr. Kate pushed.

"I don't like Alice to be around people I don't like," I answered.

She smiled at me and spoke to Alice, "How do you feel about that?"

Alice shrugged.

"How would you feel if Edward didn't want you to see Rosalie or Jasper?"

I noticed how Alice flinched when Dr. Kate said Jasper's name.

"I don't like Jasper. I don't think you should see him anymore." I didn't mean it, but I just wanted to see what kind of reaction I would get out of her.

She jumped off the sofa and looked at me shocked. She shook her head no and finally cried, "Why?"

I looked at her worried. "Do you love Jasper, Alice?"

She was breathing hard, trying to form words. She was looking everywhere but at me.

"You do don't you?" I accused.

Her eyes shot to mine. "You don't have to choose, you shouldn't have to choose, Alice. Jasper's fine, but do you see the problem? You should never have to choose, Alice."

She settled down a little.

"I need to find Bella," I said watching her reaction.

Her face softened and she nodded okay.

I looked back to Dr. Kate and she smiled fucking huge like she had just won the Nobel Prize.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	22. Chapter 22

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 22 – Contact**

**Esme**

I was very pleased with the last report from the children's therapist. Edward had finally started talking to Dr. Kate and really making progress. She also suggested enrolling the children in a self-defense class as well as yoga, mostly for Alice's benefit, but also to help with Edward's anger management and stress.

They were really getting into the classes and I could see a marked difference in both of them. Alice's gracefulness made her a natural at yoga and a surprisingly formidable opponent in their martial arts class. Her lithe movements and speed often caught her opponents off guard. Edward was coming to embrace the tenets of yoga and karate, helping him to become much calmer and more focused on the positive. It was wonderful to see them flourish.

I had decided to be a stay at home mother so I could be available for the children if they needed me. We knew they were not that stable and worried about sending them to school. I had heard about the fight at the movie theatre in Port Angeles. Luckily, there were cameras recording the incident, along with many witnesses stating that the three boys had attacked first and threatened Alice, instigating the fight. No charges were pressed since the injuries were caused in self-defense.

I had worried that Edward would start fights at school since fighting was his first instinct, but he seemed to be doing rather well. Apparently, the boys he hurt went to their school and word had gotten around not to mess with the twins. I was secretly thankful for that. They already had been through so much. I really hoped this small town would welcome our family.

I spent most of my days overseeing the construction of our new house. They were constructing two O-Rs since Emmett was studying medicine and we silently hoped the twins would consider going into the medical field as well in some capacity.

We were building a much larger home than the one in Nevada. It would be able to accommodate a lot more patients. Carlisle and I were eagerly planning our summer volunteer trip to find patients to fill it. It was looking like this new start was really turning out well for everyone.

I was sitting in my office looking over files that had been emailed to me of prospective patients when my phone rang. It was rare that anyone called this line so it startled me a little. I quickly answered it, thinking it was surely a wrong number.

"Hello, Cullen Health Charity," I answered.

"Esme?" a familiar voice spoke.

"Yes?"

"It's Bella," she said her name softly like she was afraid I would hang up on her. I hoped she knew I really was okay with her and Edward's relationship.

"Hello, dear, how are you doing?" I asked trying to encourage a friendly conversation.

"I'm..." she sighed, "I'm fine," she finished, not sounding anywhere near fine. "I was just calling to see how Edward was doing, if he was progressing," she sounded hopeful.

"He's progressing very nicely, actually. He finally figured out why you left and really started putting the effort in to work with his therapist now. He's really doing quite well."

"Good, that's good," she sounded unsure. "I was, um, you know what, never mind. I'm glad he's doing so well."

"Bella," I stopped her from hanging up. I realized what was bugging her. "He misses you."

She burst into tears over the phone and I was grateful that this girl seemed to feel as strongly for Edward as he felt for her. "Are you alright, dear?" I asked again.

She sniffled a little, "I just miss him, that's all."

"Well, you can check in on him with me any time you want, dear," I offered.

"Can I give you my information for when he gets better or if he needs anything?" she asked.

"Yes, definitely, please. He'll hopefully need it soon to find you," I encouraged.

She gave me her information and I filed it away. We spoke for a little while longer before we went to hang up. "Edward really does miss you, dear," I tried to comfort her, but I was suddenly interrupted.

"Esme, who are you talking to?" Edward asked from the doorway.

"That's him," I heard Bella gasp over the phone, crying harder.

**Edward**

I needed Esme to sign some paper for a field trip, so I took both mine and Alice's papers to her office. I was just stepping into her open doorway when I heard her speak my name. I wondered who she was talking to.

"I, um…" she stuttered. Esme never stuttered.

I rushed to the desk and snatched the phone from her hand before she could protest.

"Hello?" I asked sternly, "Who is this?" I demanded.

I heard someone sniffling on the other end of the line and a weak female voice finally spoke. "Edward."

I knew who it was instantly. "Bella," I gasped in relief. "Where are you, are you okay? Do you need help?"

"Yes, Edward, it's me. I'm sorry to bother you. I'm fine."

"Why are you crying, Love?" She sobbed quietly as I spoke.

"I'm sorry; I just miss you so much," she finally said tearfully.

My chest ached. I wanted to hold her in my arms, take away her pain. I want to touch her face and nuzzle into her hair. I needed her. "I miss you, too, Love. Where are you staying now?"

"My mother moved to Florida, I'm staying with her for a while."

"Florida, that sounds like fun," I said trying to cheer her and she just laughed.

"It will be fun when you come for me," she said softly, as if she didn't want me to hear it.

"Yes, it will, so plan on it this summer." I planned on making enough progress to come for her by the summer.

She gasped and I could hear the smile in her voice. "Really?"

"That's my plan. In the meantime, I have something for you. I bought it for you for Christmas, but I would really like to send it to you so you can wear it in the meantime."

"Okay. I gave Esme my address," she cheered a little.

"I love you, Bella."

"I love you, too, Edward."

"I'll be there before you know it."

I listened to her sniffle for a moment and then Esme spoke. "Edward, are you done?"

I didn't want to hang up, but I knew Esme was ready for me. "I should go. I miss you, Bella."

"I miss you, too. I love you."

"Love you," I said and slowly hung up, wanting to prolong the moment. I hated letting go of my girl.

Esme took the papers from my hand, not asking what they were, just moving to her desk to look them over. "So, what is it you want to send to her?" she asked with a smile.

"A bracelet and a letter."

She smiled at me. "Wrap them up. Have Alice help you so it looks nice and bring them to my office. I'll send them off today. I'm sure she's eager to get them, dear," she said excitedly.

Esme was endearing with her excitement. I was truly relieved that she had accepted my relationship with Bella. It wouldn't have mattered to me if she didn't, Bella was my priority, but it made things much easier and more pleasant.

That night as I lay in bed, I let my mind wander to the future. What would it be like to be able to be with my girl every day? Would Bella want to get married? I knew I did, preferably sooner rather than later. I wanted her to be mine in every way. Would she want a family? I had never thought much about having kids, but the idea of a little brown-eyed baby girl with curly hair and a little boy that looked like me had me smiling as I slipped off to the most peaceful sleep I had had in weeks.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	23. Chapter 23

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 23 - Family**

**Edward**

Bella and I had been emailing back and forth pretty regularly. She had taken a position at a boating store and surprised several people with her fishing knowledge.

Apparently, Charlie had taught her well.

Valentine's Day would be coming up soon.

Alice and I both decided to move further away from each other that weekend. So far, the weekends we had spent apart were with both of us still in town. From what I could make of it, she would be going to Seattle and I would hopefully be going to Florida.

I tracked down the number for the store Bella worked at. I knew she was scheduled to work on Valentine's Day, but I called and asked to speak with the manager. After twenty minutes, I was finally passed to a guy named George who was the manager of the shop.

"Hello, George," I surprised him by using the name Bella used when speaking about him.

"Hello…?"

I cut him off before he could speak. I wanted to get right to the point. "I was calling because I'll be flying in to surprise one of your employees on Valentine's Day and I was hoping you could give her the afternoon off without telling her. It's a surprise."

"Who are you talking about?"

"Bella, I need you to give her the afternoon off. She can work that morning, as I'll need a little bit of time to get the surprise ready, but I plan on picking her up at noon. She has the following two days off, correct?"

"Who am I talking to? I've never seen Bella with anyone. She never speaks of anyone."

"I'm her boyfriend, I live in Seattle. If you don't believe me, ask her who gave her the charm bracelet she wears. I would bet she blushes before she says my name."

"And your name would be…?"

"Edward," I answered confidently.

I could hear the old man sigh over the phone. "Give me a moment, Edward."

"Of course."

After a few minutes of waiting, he came back, picking up the phone chuckling. "Edward, you still there?"

"Yes, Sir."

"You were right. She turned tomato red when I asked her where she got the bracelet and then told me her boyfriend, Edward, gave it to her. The smile on her face when she said your name clenched it for me, boy. You can have her that afternoon. I'm sure she'll be thrilled. I think I may come in just to see her reaction to her surprise."

The evening before I left, Carlisle pulled me into his study and lectured me on the importance of safe sex. Yeah, that was a weird conversation with any adult.

I went from the airport to the hotel I would be staying at, using the limo service the Cullen's insisted I use for my trip. I think they were just excited I was finally using the credit card they had given me.

**Bella**

I spoke to my boy on the phone.

It was bittersweet having to hang up with him. I loved hearing that he missed me and loved me, and I wasn't a delusional sicko pining away for a boy who didn't want me.

My boy loved me and missed me, too.

He was going to be coming for me this summer!

I got off my bed, looked at my full length mirror, and groaned. I had gained some weight and was looking a little puffy around the middle, and my boobs had gone up a size. I wasn't exactly complaining about that, but my jeans were getting way too tight. I cooked when I was stressed. Usually, my cooking helped to un-stress me and I took part of whatever I made to whoever was causing me issues and talked it out.

Unfortunately, I was not able to do that with Edward. Only time could fix this, and so I spent my time cooking and eating everything I made. I looked at the cupcake wrappers from last night, discarded on the cookie plate from lunch.

Ugh.

This was not going to be easy.

I needed to get out of the house. I wanted to work somewhere that would make me think of Washington. I found a little boat shop with a help wanted sign in the window.

When I stepped inside, I knew it was just what I needed. Being surrounded by fishing lures definitely made me feel like I was in Forks. Charlie would spend summers teaching me about them and even though I didn't particularly appreciate fishing like Charlie did as a kid, I listened because I loved my dad. It looked like those lessons just might pay off now.

A bald man with a peppered beard stepped out of the back when the shop bell chimed.

"How can I help you, little lady? You looking for a gift for someone special?"

"Um, no, actually I was looking for a job. I saw your help wanted sign."

The man pouted a little. "Well, Ma'am, I was looking for someone with fishing experience. My shop has boat rentals, but I make most my money on my fishing gear."

I smiled, knowing he would be impressed by my knowledge. "I don't fish much these days, but I spent every summer for years with my dad who did and he taught me everything he knew, hoping I would pick it up."

The man rubbed his chin. "Okay, I'll make you a deal, you name five different lures I pick out of my box and you got yourself a job."

I smiled and nodded, accepting the challenge.

He went to the back room and walked out with a large tackle box. He opened the bottom drawer and his face lit up when he found something. I knew he was sure he was going to be able to stump me, but he had no idea how many hours I had spent being schooled on the finer points of fishing for the big one.

"Okay, little lady, what's this?" he asked holding up a white hairy-looking little lure.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Really? A grub jig? That's the best you got?"

He laughed, smiling at me. "Alright." He pulled out the next.

"Rooster tail," I said instantly before he got it out too far.

He shook his head. "Fine. Apparently, I'm making this too easy. Why don't you come over here and tell me if there's anything in my box you can't name."

I walk over pretty sure I would be able to name it all except for an odd hook. It was twisted almost sideways. I picked it up. "I know everything but this. What kind of hook is this?" I asked curiously.

He smiled widely. "Oh, that's called the one that got away. Sucker was huge, bent the hook. I've never seen anything like it. I kept the hook as a souvenir."

"Well, it looks like you have a fish story that just might be true," I said with a smirk.

He let out a laugh. "Okay, little lady, you're hired."

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	24. Chapter 24

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 24 – Valentine Surprise**

**Bella**

I found out later that my new employer's name was George and he laughed when I told him I was prepared to bribe him with cookies to hire me when we broke for lunch and I brought a plateful in to share. I realized the best way for me to lose weight was to feed George.

Esme called me later that week and gave me an email address for Edward. I sent him a note immediately. She thought it would be good to help encourage him to work toward his goal. We emailed daily and I counted down the days to summer on my calendar.

When I received the package with the bracelet in it, I burst into tears. The letter he had written was so sweet as it spoke of what each charm represented. He said he was eager to add to it. I was eager for him to add to it as well.

I wore the bracelet everywhere. When George saw it, he said I should add a fishing lure to it. I laughed and wondered what Edward would think of making out in the shop. I would love to keep a piece of the shop with me when I left. It really was starting to feel like home. Well, almost.

I was just missing Edward.

George complained that he had gained ten pounds in the first two weeks of my working for him. I smiled knowing that I had lost five pounds.

My plan was working.

Well, at least until I realized Valentine's Day was only a week away. The two other employees asked for the day off to be with their girlfriends. Since I was alone, I said I would take the shift.

The impending holiday caused me to bake even more. Everyone I worked with as well as my mother's neighbors all received platefuls of valentine treats. Of course, I quickly gained back that five pounds I had lost, with another five added to it for good measure.

Damn it.

When Valentine's Day morning hit, I couldn't seem to care that I looked like a fat cow. I sat at the counter waiting for a customer, nibbling from a plate of goodies I had made.

George surprised me when he came in a little before eleven o'clock, claiming he needed his cookie fix. I pushed the plate over to him, thankful that someone else was around to help lower my goodie intake. I only had a couple of months left before Edward would see me again and I wanted to look just as good as I did when I left Forks, if not better.

I heard the shop doorbell chime, alerting us to a customer.

"You mind getting that, Bella?" George asked with too big of a smile.

I wondered what he was up to.

There was a delivery man with a huge order of flowers in his arms. He kept looking down at his address and then back at the store address. I was sure he was lost, poor guy.

"Can I help you?"

"Um, I'm looking for a Bella Swan?" he asked hopefully.

"You found her."

He smiled widely. "Well, happy Valentine's Day. Do you mind signing this?" He held out his order confirmation form and I quickly signed it.

He set the flowers on the counter and hurried out the door. I was sure he was very busy today. I pulled out the card and was surprised that the flowers were really for me.

They were from Edward.

Of course he wouldn't forget me on Valentine's Day. Now I suddenly felt guilty for not packing up a box of cookies for him. I would have to see if Esme would let me call him.

There was another jingling of the shop doorbell and a man with a very large teddy bear came walking in, again looking confused. When his eyes landed on me, he smiled hopeful. "Bella Swan?" he asked.

I smiled, nodding yes.

He was just leaving as a woman came walking in. "Ms. Swan?" she asked.

"Yes," I answered looking over at George. He was snickering at me.

She looked around for a moment and then clapped her hands. Three other women came running in, setting up a chair and told me to sit.

"We have instructions to give you a facial, manicure, and pedicure. Is here alright?" she asked as the girls went about setting up.

I looked over at George to see if he was okay with it. I was fine with sending them away, but he just chuckled, telling me to go ahead.

When another woman came walking in with a dress box under one arm and a shoe box under the other, I became nervous. Luckily, the dress inside was a bouncy, stretchy material so it still fit. It was a little tighter than I would have liked, but it still looked good. The shoes were a cute pair of sandals that went great with the dress. Whoever had picked all this stuff out had great taste.

The last lady that came in did my hair and applied a smattering of makeup. Not too much, just enough to enhance my natural features. I caught a glimpse of myself in the store window reflection and smiled. Even fat as a cow, I looked pretty good.

Once they were all gone, I walked over to the store counter where George was watching with an amused face.

"Well, now I'm all dressed up with nowhere to go," I complained.

He laughed. "You're making me and the lures feel under dressed. I'm going to see if they have a tux to put on the frog lures," he joked.

"Of course they do, how else do you think they catch the fish for all the fancy restaurants?"

"So, Ms. Bella, who's spoiling you?"

"The flowers and bear both came with a note saying 'Love, Edward.'"

It was going on one o'clock in the afternoon when someone with another huge flower arrangement came hurrying in. It was so large that it completely hid the delivery person. They strode up to the counter where George and I were sitting.

George was grinning like he knew something I didn't.

They set the flowers down, sliding them to the side. That was when he came into view.

Edward!

I was embarrassed to say I launched myself over the counter into his arms. Of course, my boy seemed to have grown a lot while I was gone and was even more buff than before and could handle catching me without even a stumble.

I could hear George laughing in the background as I took in my Edward.

"You're here, you're really here?" I asked dumbly.

He squeezed me tighter, and then leaned down and kissed me deeply, causing my whole body to hum with excitement.

He kissed just behind my ear and whispered, "Do you believe I'm here now?"

I laughed excitedly, pulling his head down into my neck as I snuggled into my boy, taking in his scent.

"We need to go; we're running a bit late," he whispered.

My head popped up and looked at George. I didn't want to abandon him.

"Well, Miss Bella, you heard the man. You'd better get a move on," he grinned and encouraged me to leave.

"Really? It's okay?" I asked.

He laughed out loud. "Little lady, the only reason I came in was to see your reaction to Edward coming to get you."

I looked between the pair of sneaky men shocked.

"Well, Love? We really should get going so we don't miss our lunch reservation," Edward coaxed me. He didn't have to, though; I would have followed him anywhere.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	25. Chapter 25

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 25 – Basement**

**Edward**

I was thrilled that she threw herself over the counter at me. She really was excited to see me. I would give anything to see that look on her face every day. I had been so nervous that I was pushing too far or asking too much of our relationship, but she seemed to be on the same page as me.

Page-Desperate for the other person.

I loved the way she clung to me. I needed it. I needed her to be next to me, pressing into my side or touching me. I wanted to feel the hum that accelerated the more we touched. I needed the calming effect it provided; reassuring me she needed me just as much as I needed her.

She gasped as we stepped out the shop door. The limo driver was holding the door open, waiting for us.

"You've got to be kidding me," she snarked.

I just chuckled. "This is actually from Carlisle and Esme. They send their regards and hope we have a wonderful weekend."

We settled into the back seat as tears filled her eyes. "How am I ever supposed to repay them?"

My girl was sweet like that. "By being happy and enjoying the ride, Love."

We pulled up to the resort we were staying at. Well, at least I hoped she would stay with me. She looked surprised.

"After lunch, we're doing a little shopping to buy you some more comfortable clothes and then come back here to our room," I tried to sound smooth, but I was pretty sure my worry bled through.

"Shopping?" she smiled, "For something more comfortable for me to change into?" she raised an eyebrow.

I couldn't help but grimace at her implication; we were not shopping for lingerie. "That's not what I meant," I stuttered.

She nibbled my ear. "Too bad, I would have enjoyed that, but if that's not what we're shopping for, we can just swing by my house to grab a few things."

I was nervous about meeting her mother. I wasn't sure how much she knew about me and I was worried she would hold my age against me. I hoped she would give me a chance. I knew she was very close with my Bella and I wanted to make a good impression. Of course, coming cross country to drag her straight to a hotel would not be something that would impress me if it was done for Alice. I was pretty sure I would rip the guy's nuts off and feed them to the nearest dog.

Shit, this was a bad idea.

Bella reassured me several times that her mother would love me. I, on the other hand, was not so sure.

We pulled up to a little yellow house on a small residential road. She walked up to the front door confidently, dragging me behind as I hung onto her hand for dear life.

"Mom!" she called as she stepped through the door.

"In the pottery room, honey!" her mother called back.

She pulled me along with her down the hall of the little house. She opened a door that headed down into a basement.

Basements, I hated them.

I jerked to a stop, trying to tamp down the panic that was rising. I knew I needed to go into the basement for Bella, but I just couldn't make my feet move forward. I fought back memories of another basement far away.

They were dangerous.

I couldn't let Bella go down there.

I hadn't even realized I had squeezed her tightly against me and was backing away until I heard her gasp, "Can't breathe, Edward."

I realized I had dragged her all the way out the door and back into the front yard. I didn't want her to go back in that house. Not with a basement in there. I was shaking hard and my heart was about to pound out of my chest. My breathing was coming out in ragged pants and I was sweating profusely and getting light-headed. I was on the verge of a full-blown panic attack.

She turned around in my arms and nuzzled into my neck, making the hum rise in my body and overtaking the panic, calming me down. She kissed my neck softly, whispering to me, "It's okay. I'm here. We're safe."

I didn't know how she knew, but she knew that I couldn't go in the basement.

She smiled up at me then stepped back. "Come on," she said tugging me in the direction of her back yard. There were several steps going down along the side of the house. When we finally reached the bottom, she pulled me around to a downstairs back porch. The whole back wall was all glass. I could see a woman sitting on a stool as she worked on a piece of clay. Bella tapped on the door and she jumped, causing her clay to be disfigured. Bella just giggled in response but made no move to enter.

Her face was very similar to Bella's, but her coloring was different. She got up, wiping her hands on her apron and smiled at us as she stepped out onto the porch. "Who is this, honey?" she asked grinning widely, full of implication.

"This is Edward, Mom. I wanted you to meet him before we took off for the weekend," Bella said without even flinching. I was a mess when I spoke with Carlisle and Esme about coming out here for the weekend.

Her mother looked me up and down unabashedly, making me squirm a little when she winked at me. I didn't know what to make of that. "Nice, so this is the guy from Forks that has you moping about, right?"

Bella blushed and I smiled, pulling her closer to me and kissing the top of her head. She wrapped her arms around my waist and grinned at her mother, wiggling her brow.

"I'll take that as a yes," her mom giggled and then reached her hand out to me. "It's nice to finally meet you, Edward. I've heard so much about you and all of it was wonderful. Bella tells me you're stuck in school back in Washington. I keep telling her to send you brochures for Florida U. I mean just look at this weather. It's February and we're standing on the back porch chatting comfortably by the ocean. How can you not love this place?"

I took that as acceptance. She wanted me to move here because somehow she knew wherever I ended up, Bella would be, too, and I did an internal happy dance. I instantly liked Bella's mom.

"It's a little more complicated for me. If I could, I'd move here in a heartbeat, but I have a little sister I look after; she's the only living family I have left."

Her eyes softened in a familiar way I had seen Bella's soften. She wrapped an arm around my shoulder and kissed my cheek. "You have more family than you know, Edward."

I looked at Bella, knowing that she was family, even though it wasn't legal yet. I planned on marrying her and making her my family as soon as possible.

She was everything to me and I wouldn't let her go.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	26. Chapter 26

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 26 - Lemonade in the heat **

**Edward**

Bella packed her bag and I carried it to the limo for her. The driver put it in the trunk and asked where we would be going from there. I told him back to the resort and Bella smiled, snuggling deep into my side. I loved the feel of her next to me. I couldn't wait to get her to myself.

Once in the limo, she surprised me by climbing into my lap and kissing me deeply. I cursed my teenage body for responding so quickly. I was stiff instantly.

Of course, my beautiful Bella took advantage of it, grinding down on me. Her perfect little body moving over me was driving me insane. I was going to lose it if she didn't stop.

I stilled her hips, but then I cupped her face, kissing her deeply, letting her know I wanted more, just later. My hand moved down to her breasts, palming the peaked nipple through the material. It had been so long since I had touched her like this, and I could have sworn that what once was a small palm full was now a real hand full. Not that I was complaining or anything. Quite the contrary.

The dress I had picked out looked beautiful on her. I would have to thank Rosalie later for giving me Bella's sizes. I nibbled down my girl's neck. She smelled wonderfully sweet, like cookies. In fact, I think she had brought some with her in her bag. Her hips shifted again, pushing down against me. She made it hard to be good and wait, but I had no desire to flash my ass to the driver.

"We're here, Mr. Cullen," the driver spoke. "Will you be needing me anymore this evening?"

"No, we'll be staying in, but I will need you again tomorrow, possibly around lunch or dinner," I added.

I grabbed Bella's bag and checked with the front desk to make sure our room was ready for us. I led her to the elevator that took us to the penthouse. It was difficult to get this room only a month in advance, but when I offered to pay double, they jumped at it. I was sure they gave whoever had booked it a discount on a later stay.

I was not about to be presumptuous, so the suite had two bedrooms. We entered the room, walking into a large sitting room. I stopped, realizing I had Bella's bag in my hand. She looked up at me expectantly.

"Well, um, I have two rooms and I would prefer you stayed with me, but I don't want you to feel pressured to, so you're welcome to the other room if you want it," I said pointing to the other door.

She snuggled into my arms. "Not a chance. I'm staying with you."

My heart soared with excitement. I hugged her tightly to me, kissing her deeply, trying to convey the way I felt about her. I needed her and now that we were in the privacy of our own room, stopping was not something I was likely to do.

She was pulling me as she eagerly kissed me in return, but I wasn't sure where she was going. She stopped at the back of the couch and then I felt her legs wrap around my hips, lining her up just right. I groaned at the feel of her heat pressing against me as she held on to me, kissing me wildly.

She suddenly dropped to her feet and shoved me back and I was ashamed to say I whimpered a little when I lost contact with her. I stopped complaining fast, though, when she whipped her dress off over her head. She stepped forward purposefully, grabbing my belt and yanking me to her.

"Is this okay?" she asked a little unsure.

Hell yeah! I wanted to shout, but I just nodded yes in response and helped her undo my pants as I kicked off my shoes. Undressing was something I needed to practice because I felt very awkward doing it.

Once I had my shirt off, we stood before each other in only our underwear. I pulled her to me, enjoying the feel of her skin. She was so soft and beautiful. I nibbled down her neck and shoulder. She surprised me by undoing her bra and then shoving off her panties before pushing my boxer briefs down over my erection, which was no easy task. They fell to the floor as I kissed down from her shoulder to her chest, stopping to admire her breasts. I was right. They had gotten much bigger! Oh, yeah!

God, I wanted her boobs. I knew that sounded so immature, but fuck, they were magnificent and I wanted to lick and taste them.

Her fingers worked their way up into my hair, encouraging me to move closer to her nipple. I licked around it, teasing her and then just tapping it with my tongue, testing it out. She gasped, responding beautifully to my efforts. I wanted to see more.

I licked a couple more times and then sucked it into my mouth, causing her to moan out my name. She was panting and I slid my hand down her hip into the crease between her thighs. I wanted her to feel good.

I'd had a long talk with Emmett to get the gist of this, but doing it was more complicated. She was so warm and wet. She pressed against my hand as if she liked it being where it was. I took a few test strokes as she gasped my name. She finally shoved me back and for a moment I was afraid I might have hurt her. She shoved me down on the couch and quickly climbed on me, sheathing me completely.

She bit my lip. "It's not nice to tease after making me miss you so long," she whispered kissing me as she moved, breathing softly in my ear.

I tried to slow her hips because I was going to lose it fast, especially when she started moving faster. "Slow down," I panted, "or I'm gonna lose it," I warned.

She kissed me roughly. "We have all night, Edward, let go," she said and then bit my lip as she moved my hand to her nipple. Yup, that was the end of me. My body jerked as I stiffened more, shooting up into her.

Fuck, that was good.

I wanted to give her an orgasm, though. I had failed to do so again.

"I'm sorry," I whispered holding her to me tightly.

I felt her move and look up at me confused. "What? Why?"

"You didn't…" Could I say that to her? Would it be rude?

She rolled her eyes. "It's fine, Edward. Like I said, we have all night and I really wanted to do that just for you." She kissed my lips lightly, not moving to get up.

I tangled my fingers in her hair, enjoying the silkiness of it. She was so amazingly beautiful. I felt her kiss my chest, reminding me of our first kiss in her laundry room. I had wanted her so badly. Things had been so complicated that day. That seemed like a lifetime ago now as I held her in my arms on the couch, her arms wrapped tightly around me. There really was no other place in the world I would rather be.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	27. Chapter 27

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 27 - Plans**

**Bella**

My boy didn't like basements.

I put that on top of my list of important things to know about Edward. He peered down the stairs and next thing I knew, we were on the front lawn. He was breathing hard and squeezing me tightly. I knew he didn't mean for it to be painful, he was just upset about something.

I was able to turn around and calm him down. I knew there was no way to get him down the stairs, so I took him around to the back yard. My mother's walk-out basement didn't look like a basement. I was right to bring him here because he didn't freak out as we stood on the porch.

My mother welcomed Edward with open arms like I knew she would. She loved anyone or anything that made me happy, and even though I was sad to be away from him, she knew I was thrilled he was here.

I packed my bag quickly as Edward spoke quietly with my mother on the back porch. She walked him back around to the front door where they waited for me.

I just hoped my mom didn't scare him off. I really wanted to do something to thank him for going through all this trouble just to be with me. I pulled out a few bra and panty sets that looked cute and lacy and hoped it would be enough to keep him entertained for the weekend. If I had my way, we would never leave the room. I would just have to see what I could convince Edward to do.

Edward had gotten us a suite. It was massive. We were in the living area and I could see where there was a dining and kitchen area. There was an alcove with a desk that looked like a little study, then of course the two bedrooms.

My sweet boy had gotten two rooms just in case I didn't want to sleep with him. He didn't want to pressure me. If that wasn't a turn on, I didn't know what was. I knew I would never get enough of him. I just hoped he could handle what I wanted to give him.

My naughty boy tried to tease me, but I would have none of that and quickly shoved him down on the couch, taking him. I could tell he was trying to hold off, but he didn't last long. Of course, I didn't expect him to, so when he said he was sorry, I panicked. I was worried he was upset with me.

Turned out he was just sorry I didn't get off. I could just eat him up he was so sweet. I nuzzled into his arms, still joined as he held me tight. It was perfect.

It felt like a perfect moment. The kind that felt so good, you knew that the world would come crashing back in any moment to ruin it, so you just held as still as possible, hoping it would last just a little while longer.

"Shower with me?" Edward asked a little unsure.

I answered him by kissing him softly just before I climbed off his lap. He wrapped his arms around me, kissing me as he carried me to the master bathroom. I was shocked to find it lit by candles and filled with flowers. He turned on the shower and reached in, making sure it was warm.

He was perfect and sweet. He gently washed my body in a way that was endearing, not arousing. He took care of every inch, gently rinsing and kissing when he was finished. Once he was done with me, he had me sit on a little bench while he cleaned up himself.

I watch the water run down his toned body, following the 'V' of his form. I found myself licking my lips as I tore my eyes away from him to look at his face. He was tilting back his head to rinse out his hair when I got a wonderful idea. I grabbed his hips, yanking him forward and took him into my mouth.

The moan that left his body as he gasped for air was beautiful. I felt him growing quickly in my mouth and wanted him full length before I took him again. His body began to shake from the pleasure when I started to back off.

He looked down at me with dark hooded eyes. He wanted me now. He pulled me up to my feet and touched me, testing to see if I wanted him. I did.

He licked his fingers, smiling at how wet I was. "You were a naughty girl, Isabella," he said and then took my breast in his mouth. "So naughty," he purred as he slid his hands to my butt and gripped it tightly, lifting me off the floor. "It's not nice to tease," he said throwing my words back at me, but I wasn't teasing. I was a sure thing when it came to Edward. Saying no was just not an option.

I wrapped my legs around him and pushed him inside of me, holding onto him tightly with my thighs as I adjusted to being full. He attacked my lips as he started to move inside of me again. I could do this forever with him. I never wanted him to stop.

He lasted much longer this time and was very pleased with himself when he sent me over the edge, gasping his name. He followed quickly after me and then carefully sat down on the bench, still holding me to him tightly in his arms.

**Edward**

Heaven.

I was pretty sure I had died and gone to heaven. I must have been really good because I was having the time of my life with my girl.

She felt fucking amazing inside and when she came, I was flying after her. Fucking awesome. The way her body clenched and rubbed against me, pulling me deeper into her, I wanted to do that again and again. I was pretty sure I was turning into a nymphomaniac. Well, a Bella-maniac because I didn't want anyone but her and I wanted her over and over again.

I didn't plan on having sex this weekend. I knew it was a possibility, but I wasn't going to ask for it. I was glad my sweet Bella wanted it and by god it was good. I had originally planned on discussing what we were going to do this summer, and if we ever got dressed, that would be the first topic we would discuss.

Once I recuperated, I gently washed her body again. Before I started washing myself off again, I gave her a pointed look. "You'd better be good this time or we'll never get out of the shower."

"I'll be good. I don't want to get all prune-wrinkled," she giggled.

I loved that she was happy.

**Bella**

I opened my eyes against the sunlight. I felt my boy's warm body pressed against me. My body ached in such a good way. He just couldn't get enough of me and I had to admit that I couldn't get enough of him. I rolled over and snuggled deeper into his chest.

For a boy of seventeen, he was most definitely built like a grown man. In fact, he was built better than most men I knew. He certainly didn't look like a boy. Esme had told me he and Alice were taking self-defense and martial arts classes, and boy did it show. My boy was now majorly ripped. I licked my lips, taking in his form and then leaned down, licking his chest. His salty skin was delicious.

I heard him hum in response and his arms tightened around me. I kissed his chest and he smiled. I hitched my leg over his hip and he moaned my name.

"Are you awake yet?"

"Mmm, if this is you waking me, then no, not yet."

He might not have been awake, but part of him was obviously up and ready to say good morning. I slid down on him, taking him inside me again. We moved slowly together, both of us tired and sore, but neither wanted to let go of the other person. I lay down on his chest. One hand tangled up in my hair and the other gripped my ass, moving me slowly toward the edge.

"So…oh, so good," he grunted.

I didn't want to let him go. I gripped him tighter, worried that he would disappear and I would wake to find this was all a dream.

He rolled us over, changing the angle and taking my breast in his mouth at the same time. His hand moved down to where we were joined and I felt my body clench instantly. For a boy, he knew what the hell he was doing.

I felt his warm seed fill my body and almost wished I could have his baby. I knew it would look adorable with him for a daddy. I pushed that thought away, but I kept my legs wrapped around him, not wanting to let him go. His face was buried in my neck, his hot breath fanning across my skin. I didn't want him to move. I tangled my hand in his hair, holding him in place.

"Bella," he panted still trying to catch his breath.

I kissed his cheek and felt him smile against my skin.

"Would you…" he panted, "I was hoping…" he gasped then sighed as he finally caught his breath. His green eyes met mine. He was so sweet and sincere. Whatever he wanted, I would give it to him.

"I was hoping maybe you would come home," he paused, "Like in early May, for a weekend?"

He wanted to ask me something and his timid worry was cute. I wouldn't leave him hanging.

"Sure, what weekend do you want me?" I asked.

I felt him twitch inside of me and grow hard again instantly. It made me smile that he responded so well to me. He pressed into me hard and growled, "I want you every weekend."

"Which weekend in May would you like me to be in Washington?" I clarified. I saw a flash of worry in his eyes. "What is it?" I asked.

"Prom," he mumbled.

"Jasper's taking Alice, isn't he?" I stated.

He nodded yes. "But that's not why I want you to go with me. I just…" He stopped talking and nuzzled into my hair.

I rubbed his back, waiting to see if he would continue, but he didn't. "I'll be there, Edward; I don't want you going to prom with anyone else."

I felt him smile against my skin.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	28. Chapter 28

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 28 - Disappointments**

**Bella**

Edward and I made plans to spend spring break together along with Prom.

I was glad I had set dates to look forward to. It made him leaving much more bearable. We snuggled in for our last night of sleep together. We spoke softly in hushed tones, almost as if being quiet would keep time from moving forward.

He was pretty adamant about getting his GED, but I also knew that Esme wanted him to go to school for his senior year. As much as I wanted my boy to myself, I knew I had to back her on this one. He needed to get better and act his age for a little while.

He seemed upset when I told him he should stay in school, but he said he would think about it. I decided I would distract him. My cooch was sore from overuse, but my mouth was not. I kissed down his body, but he stopped me before I could reach my destination.

"Just let me hold you, please?" he begged.

My sweet boy, I could never deny him anything.

I woke to his whimpering and immediately tried to wake him.

"Will not!" he shouted in his sleep. "I will not," he whimpered again.

"Edward. Edward, please wake up. Baby, please," I begged not wanting to see him so upset.

His arms wrapped tightly around me as he buried his face in my neck. I kissed his neck softly, running my fingers through his hair. "I've got you, baby, I've got you," I whispered.

I felt his tears spill on my shoulder. As much as I wanted to make my boy better, I knew our time apart was needed. As much as I hated it, he needed to heal.

**Edward**

It had been four years since I was in that basement, but seeing the steps leading down to Bella's set off my memories. We didn't really sleep that first night together, but the second night I couldn't keep them at bay.

I was there again, chained to the wall as the monster that ran the house paced the floor.

_'I think you're too stupid to write, boy, so you'll repeat the same phrase over a hundred times so I can be sure you remember it.'_

I was just a boy, barely twelve, and I had just lost my mother. An older boy had stolen something and blamed me because I was the new kid. That was the first time I was introduced to the basement.

_'Now repeat after me, boy, I will not steal.'_

_'I will not steal,'_ I said timidly, scared out of my mind. My mother had never raised a hand to me, so to be chained to a wall in a basement was insane.

I had not spoken loud enough. He pulled out a cricket bat. _'What was that, boy? I can't hear you!'_ he sang at me laughing. He swung his bat at me, connecting with my ribs. _'Say it nice and loud now, boy!'_ he commanded.

Bella held me in her arms trying to calm me, but I had seen too much. That first time in the basement was nothing compared to what I had seen. The sick bastard that ran the place was a doctor, so the things he was able to do to us were unspeakable. He threatened to kill us if we told and had all the kids there scared too shitless to say anything.

The bastard got off on all kinds of kinky crap, and he didn't seem to care whether you were male or female. He could torture either one just as brutally. The damn case workers kept their eyes shut and turned their heads. I understood that spaces were limited for foster kids, but I was pretty sure the streets would have been better than with the good doctor.

Alice was small and I did my best to keep her hidden. She stayed under my bed most of the time. She couldn't go to school because the doctor would see her. I didn't want him to know she existed. He probably thought she had just run away or committed suicide by jumping from the high bridge into the river near the house like a few of the others had done. It didn't stop him from collecting the check for her, though. Once, I was chained up down there and saw what he did to the girls in the basement. Apparently, he had anticipated the screaming and had soundproofed the place. There was no way in hell I was risking that happening to Alice, so we ran. I may have left that place behind, but the nightmares still haunted me.

**Bella**

I hated saying goodbye to Edward, but I knew I needed to not be a distraction for him. Getting to spend time with me was supposed to be more of a motivation or reward for cooperating with his therapist so he could get better. It was something he wanted to achieve, so I had to be strong for him.

Of course, that involved baking a lot of cookies. Every few days I would mail him some sort of treat that I had baked. I just couldn't stop cooking. George said he stepped on the scale and weighed fifteen pounds more than when I first started working for him.

I wished I could say I was fifteen pounds lighter, but I wasn't. I was still holding on to that extra ten pounds and I had added another ten just for good measure. I just couldn't seem to lose it no matter how few cookies I ate, and my clothes were getting ridiculously tight. I actually had to go out and buy some clothes a size larger, and I had to buy all new bras with cups two sizes larger for my ever-growing boobs. I had no idea chocolate chips could increase bust size so much!

Spring break came too fast and not fast enough. I was hoping to lose that extra weight before I saw Edward again, but it was just not happening. I was supposed to fly out to Washington and stay with Charlie, but there was a last minute change of plans.

Edward, Alice, Jasper, Rose, and Emmett all decided they wanted to come and visit Florida for spring break.

They had gotten three rooms and I wondered how Edward was taking it that his sister was sleeping with Jasper. I could see him scowling at Jasper regularly, but he never said a word. I did feel his grip tighten whenever Jasper would kiss her. Really, my boy just needed to get over it.

Of course, that night I was greatly disappointed when Edward snatched Alice from Jasper's hold and took her back to his room. Rose and Emmett had already disappeared into their room, so it left Jasper and I alone.

"How is Alice doing?" I asked trying to make conversation.

His worried eyes were still on the door leading out of his hotel room. "She's fine with him, right? He wouldn't hurt her?"

"No, of course not."

He nodded his head, believing my words.

We sat in silence, I guess waiting for them to return and us to get our partners back, but they didn't come. After about three hours of waiting, Jasper walked me to the room Edward and I were supposed to share just so we could check on them.

What I found was disappointing.

Edward was dressed in his PJs and Alice was wearing one of his shirts. Both were in the bed, her under the covers and him on top, holding her protectively. They weren't coming back for us. My boy wasn't getting better.

I rushed out of the room. Jasper followed quickly then held the door open to his room, waiting for me to enter. I walked in slowly, fighting back my tears and disappointment.

Jasper kicked off his boots and climbed on top of the covers. He flipped back the blanket and patted the bed for me. I looked up at him unsure, but when he held out his arms, I dove into them bawling.

I cried myself to sleep that night.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	29. Chapter 29

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 29 - Wrong**

**Bella**

I heard the door open to Jasper's hotel room. Alice was the only other person with a key so I opened my eyes to see if it was her. I saw her silently crying with her hand over her mouth, staring at us in bed. I took a quick inventory of hands; they were all in safe places. No accidental groping was going on.

Edward stepped in behind her and glared at me. What the fuck? He was the asshole that had left me without a bed last night! If he had cared so much about where I slept, he should have made sure I was taken care of, not abandoned.

I sat up pissed. "What did you expect, Edward, that I would sleep in the lobby?" I said angrily.

His eyes shifted from me to Jasper, who apparently woke up with my shouting. He looked at Edward frowning and shook his head as he sat up. "You can't have them both, Edward, so you need to pick one, Bella or your sister, because whoever you don't choose will end up in my bed. I will not turn them out."

At that, Edward lunged at Jasper. Of course, Jasper had taught self-defense for a living for quite a while and had Edward pinned face down on the bed before he knew what had hit him.

"Settle down now!" Jasper commanded.

"Take your fucking hands off me!" Edward shouted back. He was so upset, so angry. I couldn't stand it. I needed him to settle down. He was still fighting against Jasper, trying to get free. The sight of him so frantic and out of control upset me greatly.

I gently ran my fingers through his hair, trying to help him calm down. "Edward, please stop. Just stop so we can talk."

His eyes glared up at me. "Fuck you, bitch!" he shouted.

He had never spoken to me like that, never once, and it hurt horribly. This wasn't my Edward. This wasn't my boy. I got up and ran out of room. I ran back to our room and grabbed my stuff before I quickly left the hotel, catching a cab to take me home.

My boy had broken my heart.

**Edward**

My sister was at a hotel with a guy. Not just any guy, either, but the guy she considered her boyfriend.

Fuck.

There was no fucking way I was leaving her alone. That bastard was insane if he thought I would let him sleep with my sister. Nobody fucking slept with my sister.

I told her that and insisted that she get a room for herself. She shook her head no at me. Alice rarely told me no, and when she did, there was usually a reason so I asked her why before I went off on her.

"Nightmares," she whispered watery-eyed.

I let out a sigh and nodded. She couldn't sleep alone. I understood that. I just hoped Bella would, too. I hoped she wouldn't mind sleeping on the suite's couch. The time I needed two rooms, I had only gotten one. Maybe I could trade rooms in the morning.

Alice and I got ready for bed like we did every night. I glanced at the clock and wondered if Bella would be coming back to the room soon. It was late and I was drifting off to sleep.

I woke up the next morning to see Alice curled into a tiny ball like usual. I rubbed her head with my scruffy chin because I knew it pissed her off.

"Don't mess with my hair!" she snapped.

I laughed. "You have bed head, it's already messed up."

She shoved me off the bed scowling at me and I hit the floor with a loud thump. I worried we might wake Bella so I got up to check on her.

She wasn't there. Not on the couch or the floor. I even checked the bathtub because I had seen crazy chicks that slept in the tub before, but she wasn't there.

Alice noticed my panic.

"I can't find her, she's not here."

"Come on, Jazzy will help out, he'll know where to look for her."

She grabbed my hand and pulled me across the hall. When she stepped into her room, she gasped and didn't move forward. I pushed her into the room then stopped, stunned myself by what I was seeing.

Bella was there.

She was in Jasper's arms, in his bed!

In his fucking bed!

His arms where wrapped around her and she was looking at us stunned and confused like there was no reason to be upset, but fuck, he had his arms around my girl, she was in his bed. I was sure they had snuggled and probably talked or some shit which was way more intimate than sex. Fuck, were they fucking behind our backs?

Bella snapped at me about leaving her alone last night, pulling me out of my thoughts and directing my anger right at her. I wanted to fucking scream at her for doing this to me, and to Alice who was now openly crying. I would kill that bastard for hurting her!

Then Jasshole opened his mouth, demanding I choose between them, threatening to bed the reject. Bastard! They were both mine and I would beat the living shit out of him. I swung at him and next thing I knew, I was pinned face down into the bed. I fought against him but the fucker was stronger than he looked and had me pinned such that I couldn't move. I became panicked. I had to get up; I needed to save Alice from this asshole.

Bella tried to calm me down by touching me. I wanted her to keep her fucking hands to herself. I didn't know what the fuck she had been doing with Jasshole and it made my stomach turn. It made me sick. She had to stop touching me.

I glared up at her. "Fuck you, bitch!" I snapped so she would back off. The way she flinched, one would have thought I had hit her. She got up and ran from the room. She just ran out, leaving me pinned to her lover's bed. She had abandoned me. She was gone.

The feeling that overtook my body after that was unexpected. I was in pain. I heard loud sobbing and realized when Alice was at my side that it was me. I was crying, hard.

I didn't know how long I cried, but Emmett came in and told me it was time to go. I didn't know where we were going, but I was in no shape to fight him. He and Alice packed up our room and we must have made it out to the car at some point, but I wasn't really registering much at this point.

It finally sank in that we were going home when we reached the airport. I looked at him sadly. I wanted to beg him to stay, but I didn't have a reason anymore. Bella was gone and she was right to be. I shouldn't have talk to her like that. The way I had spoken to her was unforgivable. I had hurt her and I realized I was going to keep hurting her no matter what. I had to get the fuck out of there. I didn't want to hurt her anymore because what I wanted to say to her right then would not have been nice and she didn't deserve it. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew that she really didn't deserve it, and I didn't deserve her.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	30. Chapter 30

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 30 – Bakery surprise**

**Bella**

It had been two weeks since the debacle of spring break. I thought about emailing Edward, but I didn't. He hadn't emailed me, either.

I was frustrated, angry, and hurt.

I didn't know what the hell he thought I was doing with Jasper, but the jerk needed to realize the only reason I was there was because of him. I had no other place to go!

I started working extra hours at the shop. George knew something was wrong, but he didn't say anything. He was just silently there for me and I was grateful for that.

We were quietly tagging inventory when I realized I needed to grab two more boxes from the back. George offered to get them, but I told him no. Seriously, what did he pay me for?

Of course, that would be my famous last thought.

I didn't know what happened. Last thing I remembered was carrying two boxes and feeling a little dizzy. I thought that maybe I should break for lunch, but then it was all blank. I blacked out.

George was sitting at my bedside with my mother, Renee, as I came to. I could hear beeping through the room. Lots of beeping.

I went to sit up, but my arm hurt. I looked at it and saw that it was wrapped up in a cast. Great. I had screwed up again. I hoped I didn't upset George.

My eyes found his and I noticed my mother was holding his hand tightly with both of hers.

"Mom?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" she practically shouted. I was confused. Tell her what? "How could you not tell me, Bella? After all this time? You were in my house the whole time! Is that why you moved here? Was that the reason?"

My mother was making no sense at all. I looked to George for help. Did he know what the hell she was talking about?

"She knows about the baby," he said softly.

I looked at him even more confused. "What baby?"

I looked at my mother when she started ranting, "What baby? What baby? Bella, your baby!"

"I don't have a baby! I'm on birth control so I won't have one."

My mother gasped, covering her mouth.

A doctor walked in interrupting us. He seemed to just ignore the tension and went about checking my chart. "Well, Ms. Swan, other than the broken arm and a little bruising, you and the baby are fine."

I looked up at him shocked. "WHAT BABY?"

He looked at my chart again and then back to my face. "Ms. Swan, you're nearly five months pregnant."

This had to be some sick, twisted nightmare.

"I'm not pregnant. I know I've put on a little weight, but that was just because I bake when I'm upset. Ask George, he put on weight, too! He's not pregnant!"

My panicked eyes darted around the room to meet several worried ones.

"Bella," my mom spoke softly, "When was your last period, honey, do you remember?"

"I'm irregular when I'm stressed. I always have been," I defended.

The doctor rolled a machine out of the corner of my room to the bedside. He asked me to lift my gown and that was when I noticed I had some sort of belt strapped to my stomach, holding something against it. The doctor smiled, gently unhooking the belt and setting the monitor aside. He pulled out some gel, squeezed it on his tool, and then warned me it would be cold.

A whooshing sound filled the room. He turned the screen so I could see what he was looking at. "Here's your baby, Ms. Swan. It's healthy and growing good. Would you like to know the sex?"

I stared at the little body on the screen. It was a baby, there was no denying it. It wiggled and kicked, and when it kicked, I heard it thump against the ultrasound wand. How did I miss this?

"Would you like to know the sex of the baby, Ms. Swan?" he asked again. "It's obvious, and I can tell you if you'd like to know."

I was still too shocked to answer so I just nodded my head yes.

"It's a boy."

I was stunned. It was impossible. I had been so careful. I had made sure I took every pill, never missing one.

I asked the doctor how it could be.

He looked at my file and then gave me a sad smile. "It looks like back in October you were hospitalized with a severe case of pneumonia. You were put on antibiotics that would have canceled out your birth control."

"I know," I defended. I wasn't stupid. "I knew it wasn't working. It was more than a month after I got home from the hospital before anything happened."

"Ms. Swan, it says in your chart that you were given some prescription medication to take at home. Do you remember that?"

"They were steroids to help me breathe!" I defended.

He frowned at me. "One was a steroid, but the other one was an antibiotic to keep the infection from flaring up again once you got home."

I shook my head no. It couldn't be. How could I have messed this up? How could I have been so stupid? "That can't be. I know what antibiotics are. I wasn't taking one. I was on something called albuterol and something else. It wasn't amoxicillin or penicillin. I would have recognized the names. It wasn't them!"

"They had you on Augmentin. It's a much stronger, lesser-known antibiotic. They had you take it for fourteen days. If you took it as prescribed, Ms. Swan, that would explain this pregnancy."

I sat with my head in my hands. How could I have been so stupid? They had told me when I checked out of the hospital that my antibiotics had canceled my birth control out and to continue to take precautions until it was effective again. I was told it would be a month after I stopped taking the antibiotics. I had thought they were talking about the ones they had given me in the hospital. Why didn't I put it together then?

"Honey?" my mother approached carefully, "It's going to be okay. I'll help you out. We'll get through this together.

I looked up at her and burst into tears. How was I supposed to do this? How was I supposed to go to school and have a baby?

My hand slipped down to my stomach. I was a little pudgy, but not huge. I thought I was just bloated, but no, it was a baby.

My baby.

Edward's baby.

A fresh wave of tears hit at that thought. I was pregnant with Edward's baby and my beautiful boy wasn't even talking to me.

How was I going to get through this without him?

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	31. Chapter 31

**All characters belong to Stephenie **

**Chapter 31 – Broken**

**Edward**

I was miserable and angry. The longer she was silent, the more I festered. The therapist was fucking nuts! She kept telling me that I was being unreasonable, but it was not unreasonable to be upset with your girlfriend for sleeping with another man!

She didn't call or email; nothing to even try and explain what the hell she was doing in Jasper's bed.

I forbad Alice from seeing him anymore. I would not allow her to be around scum like that. Telling me to choose because he was taking the other one! He was a fucking sick bastard and never going to lay a hand on my sister!

School was a fucking nightmare.

Apparently, my anger made me even more attractive to Tanya, the sick bitch. She actually told me she thought she was pregnant and tried to nail it on me.

I told her my car would want a paternity test.

Stupid whoring bitch.

I would never lay a finger on her. If she talked to me again, I swore it would take some serious restraint not to hit her.

If I thought things couldn't get worse, I was wrong.

I was walking out to the parking lot when I saw Tanya talking to Mike. I thought, that's right, bitch, nail the right bastard.

Just as I finished that thought, I saw his fist fly. I couldn't stand by and watch without doing something. I wouldn't, I couldn't live through that again. I had to stop him.

I ripped him off of her, beating him to a bloody pulp. It took the principal and the coach to pry me off of him.

An ambulance was called for both Mike and Tanya. Carlisle came to get me. He told me that if Mike's parents didn't make a fuss, then the principal had no intention of suspending me for saving Tanya. Carlisle said she was in bad shape. That asshole had attacked her with a purpose and had gotten in some pretty hard blows to her abdomen before I could get him off of her. Apparently, she was pregnant and Mike's beating her had caused her to start hemorrhaging. She was losing her baby.

I was quiet, letting everything Carlisle said sink in as he X-rayed my hands. They weren't bad this time, only one was broken. He cleaned me up and cast my hand so it would heal.

"Would you like to see her?" Carlisle's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Who?" I asked confused.

"Tanya, her parents said it was okay. I just assumed you would want to make sure she was okay."

I figured it wouldn't hurt to check on her. She was Alice's friend and I did just bust my hand up for her. I nodded yes and Carlisle led me down the hallway to Tanya's room.

When we stepped inside, a dark-haired woman came forward and hugged me before I could stop her.

"Thank you," she cried, "Thank you for saving my little girl."

I realized this must have been her mother. It was strange to see a mother act that way. Usually when people were beaten up, no one cared; that was why it continued.

I just pulled away and nodded to her silently, not sure what to say. I walked over to Tanya, who was curled up in a tiny ball on her side. Her eyes were glazed over and she was staring into space. Physically, she looked pretty good from what I could see, only a slight bruise on her cheek was visible. Mentally, though, she looked pretty messed up.

I turned back to her mother. "Is she going to be okay?" I asked. She smiled sadly at me and nodded yes. I guess she thought I just meant physically.

Tanya didn't come back to school for a month. When she did return, she sat silently at the lunch table, staring at her tray but not eating. She had lost a lot of weight and looked like hell. It was obvious she spent lots of time crying because her eyes were always red and swollen. It was sad to look at.

Mike was expelled and Tanya's family pressed assault charges against him. The idiot was eighteen already and Tanya wasn't yet, so he was screwed.

I felt bad for her; she was nothing like she used to be. Alice seemed to make it her mission to help Tanya get better. Alice was barely talking to me, still angry at me for the whole Jasshole mess. I think if it wasn't for her nightmares, she would never talk to me, but she had to sleep with someone.

When I offered to help with Tanya, she seemed to lighten up. She decided to invite Tanya over for a sleepover.

Alice's first ever sleepover.

She was nervous, but she had decided we would all sleep in the game room. It was silly and I hoped Tanya would not be uncomfortable with me there. And god save us if it ever got out that Alice still slept with me because we would never live down those incest rumors.

Alice was excitedly bouncing off the walls. She had all sorts of girly shit laid out for them to use. When Tanya arrived, I hoped Alice would not be too disappointed. Tanya was silent, clutching her bag to her chest. Her mother was pushing her in the door and smiled at me sadly.

Alice seemed oblivious to Tanya's problem. She bounced around her, chatting about nail polish and cookie dough.

When she dragged her out of the room, I turned back to Tanya's mother. "Alice has never had a sleepover before. She's really excited," I explained.

She nodded in response. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she wasn't sure if she should.

"I'll look out for them," I offered.

Her mother burst into tears, smiling at me. "I know," she sniffled, "Thank you."

I didn't know what to say. Crying mothers were not something I was used to. She seemed to pull herself together a little. "She has nightmares sometimes. If she wakes up, could you make her some tea? That usually gets her back to sleep."

I nodded yes because what else could I say? It was strange to hear how someone else dealt with nightmares. Scratch that, how a mother dealt with her child's nightmares.

"Thank you, Edward," she said as she slipped out the door. I wasn't really sure what she was thanking me for, though.

I went to the game room where Alice was brushing out Tanya's hair while chattering away, oblivious to Tanya's silent form sitting in front of her. I took a seat on the far side of the room and watched as my sister zipped around the silent, broken girl, doing her hair, makeup, and nails. Alice asked me to bring them some drinks and snacks before the movie started and I did because I wanted Alice to enjoy her first sleepover.

When I handed a drink to Tanya, her eyes focused on me for a moment. They were sad, broken, and full of tears. For a moment, I could feel everything she was feeling and it hurt. I had seen broken girls like that before and I hated the memories that came rushing back to me.

I left the room. I didn't want to feel that anymore.

Of course, my room was full of different memories that were just as bad. My bed that I had lost my virginity on, my computer that used to be my lifeline to Bella, the boxes on the shelves that I had kept when I bought each charm. Worst of all was the newest charm I had made for her. I never had a chance to give it to her. I had planned to over spring break, but it didn't happen, it all went to hell.

I didn't know how long I was sulking in my room, but Alice eventually came to find me. I threw on my nightclothes and followed her to the game room.

Tanya was curled up on the couch, glassy-eyed and staring at nothing again. She didn't seem to notice us walk in or how Alice pulled me down onto the air mattress she had set up for us.

I watched Tanya stare at nothing until my eyes were too heavy and I fell asleep.

"No, please," I heard and at first, I thought it was Alice having a bad dream, but then Tanya cried out again, "Please, no, not my baby!"

She was getting louder and I didn't want her to wake Alice. I wiggled away from my sister so I could wake Tanya.

"Tanya," I whispered but she didn't respond. She started crying harder. I had to stop it.

I grabbed her shoulder and shook her awake. "Hey, wake up."

Her eyes flew open and she threw her arms around me, sobbing into my shoulder. I just sat there, not sure what to do. I guess it would have been wrong to peel her off me and tell her to go back to sleep. I let out a sigh and patted her back because I wanted her to settle down and let go of me.

Her next words shocked me. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. I looked down at her confused. "I'd gotten so drunk that night, I didn't remember whether or not we'd done anything, so I thought it might be yours. I hoped it was, anyway. I didn't want it to be Mike's."

"I don't fuck around," I stated.

She nodded her head against my chest. She looked up at me with sad eyes. "I'm sorry."

So she thought we had fucked that night. That was why she thought the baby could have been mine, why she hoped it was. I didn't blame her for not wanting to have Mike's kid. He was a douche bag.

"Tea?" I offered remembering what her mother had said.

She smiled up at me, the first smile I had seen on her in a long time. She nodded her head yes and released me so I could make her some tea. She followed me into the kitchen and sat at the bar watching me work.

"So, we didn't…?" she asked timidly.

I looked at her surprised. She really didn't remember. "No, I have a girlfriend." Had, I added mentally.

She looked at me surprised. "Then why did you go with me to the dance?"

I shrugged. "Alice asked me to, and it pissed Mike off," I said pushing her cup to her and taking a sip of mine.

"What did she think of it? Wasn't she pissed you were going out with someone else?"

I shrugged again. "I didn't ask her. She knew about it, though. She came down and spent the evening with me after I put you in the car."

"Came down from where?"

"Well, she came down with Jasper and Emmett. She went to UW."

Her jaw dropped open. "You're dating a college girl?"

Was, was more like it.

I shook my head at her.

"Wait! That was the girl wasn't it, the one Alice found in Jasper's bed?"

I growled in response. "Shut your fucking mouth," I snapped at her. I didn't want to hear this now.

She flinched back, almost falling off her chair. "Sorry," she whispered scared.

I felt like an asshole, but I could stop. "You don't say shit; you don't get to say shit because you don't know anything! Just fucking drop it!"

She nodded her head yes. Her hands were shaking so bad her tea was spilling all over her, leaving red streaks where she was burning herself.

Fuck, I was being an ass yelling at this broken girl. It wasn't her fault, she wasn't there. She didn't make Bella climb into Jasper's bed.

"Edward!" Alice snapped at me. I turned around to see her standing in the doorway of the kitchen. "You will not speak to my friends like that. You tell her sorry now!"

I could see the anger flaring high in Alice's eyes. She knew I would never lay a hand on her so she definitely had the upper hand in all of our fights. I scowled at her for yelling at me and then turned back to Tanya, only to see her shaking worse. She was shaking her head no at me. She was trying to say something, but the words weren't coming out.

I had really messed her up, damn it. I had to fix this or Alice would have my balls.

I reached for the cup that she had nearly sloshed empty because she was shaking so bad. She jerked away from me, splashing more tea over her arm. I was able get hold of the cup and pulled it out of her hand.

I hated that she was so scared of me. She thought I would hurt her. I didn't hit girls. I just didn't.

I approached her slowly and pulled her into my arms. "I'm sorry, Tanya. I'm so sorry," I whispered as I held her gently, trying to convey that I was not going to hurt her. She burst into tears, gripping my shirt and sobbing loudly into my chest. I sat down with her on the floor and held her because I didn't know what else to do.

Alice sat down next to me rubbing her back, trying to help Tanya calm down, but I had a feeling she was crying for a lot of reasons, not just because I had scared her.

Man, we were all so fucked up.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	32. Chapter 32

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 32 – Self-Medication **

**Edward**

There was only a few more weeks left of school. Tanya seemed to be doing a little better. Alice kept her seated between us as if protecting her. Tanya didn't talk much to me. She didn't talk much to anyone, but at least she did answer Alice now when she asked her something.

Tanya slid a cookie over to me at lunch. She really shouldn't have done that.

I looked up at her with wide eyes.

"You used to always have cookies, and then you just stopped," she said offering me the cookie again, not realizing the gaping hole she had just ripped open in my chest.

Alice grabbed Tanya and somehow positioned herself between us. "She didn't know, Edward, she didn't know. She was just trying to be nice." Alice grabbed my face, "She was just trying to be nice."

I knew it wasn't her fault. I didn't want to explode at her so I stormed out of the cafeteria, slamming the doors open as I went. I stomped out of the school, tearing down a prom poster as I passed it. Shredding it did nothing to calm me down. I was out of control and needed an outlet before I actually hurt someone. That would be all I needed right now.

I went into the woods behind the school and ripped a sapling from the ground and started beating the shit out of the tree in front of me. I was so angry I was in danger of hurting someone. I completely shredded the sapling in my hands and promptly uprooted another, continuing my tirade of tree torture.

I didn't know how long I had been out there, but I heard a twig snap behind me. I spun around to see a stunned Tyler looking at me terrified.

"Sssorry, dude. I was just coming out for a smoke," he said holding up his roach. He started backing away slowly and whimpered when I stepped forward. "Take it, man, take my shit, I swear I didn't touch her. Mike deserved the shit you gave him. He did it, man."

He threw a baggy at me. I caught it and looked down at it curious. I had seen drugs plenty of times before, but I had never been offered any. Right now, though, something to take the edge off how I was feeling sounded like a good thing.

I looked over at the fallen log next to me. There were stubbed out ends all around it. I sat down and looked up at him waiting. He approached slowly with good reason. I had no qualms about beating the shit out of him right now.

"You ever do this shit?" he asked. I shook my head no. He nodded okay and pulled a little paper out of his pocket. "You put some shit in here and roll it up like this," he said holding up his roach.

I took the shit and another paper and did as he instructed. He pulled out his lighter and lit his and then passed it to me to use. I had never used drugs. I had never felt the need to, but right now I needed something to help me calm down. I was on the verge of killing someone and for no good reason. Tanya just offered me a fucking cookie. She was just trying to be nice. She didn't know.

I sucked in, choking on the smoke a little, but Tyler instructed me and I finally got the hang of it. It tasted kind of weird, but I could handle it. I had tasted worse things. I was starting to feel a little better, more relaxed. Maybe I wouldn't be so keen on killing the next person that pissed me off now. I didn't know how long we were there just smoking our joints, but we sat in silence and I was thankful for that. I heard the school bell ring in the distance, but I wasn't sure for what hour. At that point, I didn't really care, either.

Tyler smiled over at me. "Call me when you need to chill the fuck out, man. I can hook you up."

I just nodded. He was right; sometimes I just needed to chill the fuck out. I was sure I would be calling on him again soon.

**Bella**

Now that I knew I was pregnant, it was quickly becoming more obvious. George let me continue working at his store, but I was not allowed to lift anything. He had also taken to rubbing my belly before going out to fish. Apparently, it was considered good luck.

I still hadn't heard from Edward.

My mother thought I should tell him about the baby, but I refused. If he wasn't ready for a relationship, there was no way in hell he would be ready for a baby. No, he needed to stay in Forks, grow up a little, and focus on school and his therapy. He had to get better and I prayed that when he was, he would come find me.

At seven months along, I felt like a house. I ate enough to fill one, too. I was constantly snacking, but George didn't mind. I always brought enough to share and since they were healthy snacks, he said he had lost five pounds.

I had stopped baking and started cooking real food. I was actually becoming quite the good cook. The work refrigerator was full of Tupperware containers with my cuisine in them. George said he had never eaten so well. He was such a nice man. I didn't see why he was single. The way he looked after me at work was endearing and I knew any lady would be lucky to have him. I knew he would see my son as his grandson and I was more than happy to have him as a part of my family.

I felt bad that I hadn't told my dad about the baby yet. I was scared to really. He had warned me not to get involved with Edward like that. He told me to get permission to be with him. Hell, he knew I didn't have it and that was why I was in Florida. I knew if the Cullen's found out, they could legally throw me in jail for statutory rape, so I kept my mouth shut. I didn't relish the idea of giving birth in a prison infirmary.

My mother didn't speak to me about my dad. I believed that it was probably a sore spot for her so she never brought it up. Besides, I had enough on my plate right now without thinking about what Charlie was going to say when he found out he was going to be a grandpa. My mom left it up to me to decide when to tell him, saying it was my news to tell, not hers. For that, I was thankful.

She was thrilled about the baby and insisted on doing casts of my tummy so she could compare the difference month by month. She wanted to hang them on the nursery wall, but I was still trying to find a way to talk her out of it. She had decorated the nursery in varying shades of green. She said they were calming colors. The colors reminded me of my son's father's eyes, though, which had me on the verge of breaking down some days, but my mom would hold me and reassure me that everything would turn out alright eventually. I hoped she was right.

I was so glad I had my mother here to help me.

At night, I would feel even more alone and longed for my boy. I would run my hand down my tummy until the baby kicked, reminding me I would always have part of him with me. Even with everything that had happened, I still loved and missed my broken boy.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	33. Chapter 33

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 33 – Left Behind**

**Edward**

I started hanging out with Tyler. We met up around lunch time and would smoke whatever the hell he had. I would give him ten dollars to cover my share of 'shit' as he so lovingly referred to it. I didn't think I could buy my own even if I wanted to. I would feel like an idiot asking to see his shit so I could identify what it was I was used to smoking. I was starting to get used to the relaxation it gave me, and I worried in the back of my mind if maybe I was becoming dependent on it. Then I would think of Bella and my chest would start aching all over again, making me not care. I needed it now.

Alice had become really close with Tanya. I would see them together every once in a while at school talking. Tanya seemed to be doing a little better now that I wasn't around so much. I hated that I scared her still, but there wasn't much I could do about it now. The best thing I could do for her was to just stay the fuck away from her, just like everybody else.

The end of school was coming fast. Everyone was focused on exams and shit, I was just ready to get the hell out. Despite my lunch time activities, I had maintained my grades, so I wasn't worried about it. Tyler said he was going down to Portland to stay with his dad for the summer. He invited me to come to Oregon and visit him. I said I might. I would have to if I needed some shit anyway.

Alice was sleeping on an air mattress on my bedroom floor now. She was trying to get used to sleeping alone. I would watch her sleep at night to make sure she didn't cry. When she would start to whimper, she would settle down when I touched her face. I never told her that. I didn't want to rain on her progress parade.

I noticed her whimpers were getting fewer and further between. She had gone three full nights on the air mattress with no bad dreams. I was proud of her.

She thought she was finally ready to move into her own room. We shared a bathroom, so we left the doors open so she could see me when she fell asleep. I watched her again nightly. I knew I could nap during the day. She would cry sometimes, but again, nothing my touch wouldn't settle.

Then I realized after a week of her sleeping in her room with no bad dreams that she was getting better. She was moving on and I was not.

I fingered the address Tyler had given me, considering the trip. I did this frequently at night as I watched Alice sleep. Tonight was different, though. She had fallen asleep with the door closed. I had opened mine, waiting for her to open hers when she was ready for bed, but she never did.

I checked on her, only to find her fast asleep with a smile on her face. She had done it. She had reached her goal and was getting better. I, however, was not.

The first morning of summer break, I overheard her talking to Esme about having Jasper visit and I nearly lost it. That asshole was the reason I was so miserable and I would be damned if I would stand by and let her drag him back into our relationship.

"It's not what you think, Edward! They're just friends and have been for years. She was upset and crying because YOU left her all alone with no explanation and nowhere to sleep. He was just taking care of his friend! They fell asleep completely dressed. NOTHING HAPPENED!"

I wanted to smash something. I didn't want to hear this. I didn't want to hear what she was saying.

"He said he would take whatever I didn't!" I snapped.

"No, he said you had to choose one or the other of us because you couldn't sleep with us both and he wasn't going to turn anyone out on the street with nowhere to sleep! You left her without a bed, then you yelled horribly at her and you wonder why she doesn't call or write? Wake the fuck up, Edward. YOU WERE WRONG!"

I didn't want to hear this. I didn't want to listen to her. I was too afraid that she was right. I was terrified that she was. Bella was mad at me and she had every right to be. I knew in my heart Alice was right, Bella would never have ever done that to me knowing how much it would hurt me. She was good, sweet, and kind like that. I had let my hot-headed jealousy get the better of me and had fucked up the best thing that had ever happened to me. I was an idiot and an ass, a huge, stupid ass.

I stormed out of the house without another word. I hopped in my car and drove. I needed to get away from Alice before I said something to my sister that we would both regret. I knew she was right and staying here would do nothing to rectify the situation.

It was dark and raining hard when I finally pulled into a shady-looking neighborhood. I found the address I was looking for and parked in front of the build that Tyler was supposed to be in. When I stepped out of the car, I realized I was surrounded. Two of the guys had knives out. I was so not in the mood to fight right now. I pulled down the hood of my jacket and suddenly Tyler pushed forward.

"Chill, man, I know this guy. He's cool," he said calming his cronies. "Edward, my man, it's good to see you. I was hoping you'd stop by some time."

He put his hand on my shoulder and pulled me out of the circle of jerks. He took me across the way to another building into what looked like a boiler room. There were a few overturned crates and he sat down on one, inviting me to sit on another.

"You want some shit?" he asked.

I just nodded my head yes.

He smiled and handed me a roach that was already lit. I took it not thinking twice about it, inhaling deeply.

"So, what brings you to town, Edward?" he asked.

I shrugged.

One of the other fuckers started laughing. "Shit, man, you weren't kidding; the dude don't talk."

I glared at him and Tyler thumped his shoulder. "Shut the fuck up. He can mess you up without breaking a sweat, man. You don't want to jack with him, I'm telling you."

"Yeah right," the other guy snickered. The others in the room were tittering amongst themselves, hoping for some entertainment in the form of a fight.

"Dude took down Mike, Eric, and me without a scratch and in less than a minute."

"That's because you're a pussy," one of the other guys taunted Tyler.

"I can beat your ass and you know it," Tyler said and got in the dickwad's face, ready to start some shit.

I so wasn't in the mood for this.

The fight between Tyler and the dickwad was escalating. They were bumping chests like idiots when I noticed the dickwad had pulled out a knife. I wasn't about to let Tyler get messed up. He was the closest thing I had to a friend and he didn't bug me. It was because he was standing up for me that he had gotten into this mess, so I knew I needed to do something and quickly.

I took in the room before I made my move. I grabbed the guy's hand, twisting it up behind his back and dislocating his shoulder while I took his knife. I kicked him in the chest and pushed Tyler back onto his crate, glaring at the rest of the room.

"Sit the fuck down!" I commanded.

I sat down and sucked on the roach Tyler had given me, glaring at the whimpering dumb fuck in the corner. One of the other guys started to laugh. "That was fuck-awesome, man! Your guy has some serious balls, Ty."

"I told you not to mess with him," Tyler said scooting a little closer to me. I almost laughed, but I didn't.

After we were all high, the other douchebags left, leaving Tyler to sit quietly with me.

"I'd invite you back to my place, but my dad got arrested yesterday and his girlfriend is a bitch." He motioned to the blankets stacked up in the corner, "You're welcome to stay with me, though."

I nodded okay; it would work for tonight.

"So, did you break Joshua's arm?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No, just dislocated it. I figured he was your friend so…" I shrugged.

He just laughed. "He's an ass who wants to smoke my shit. I wouldn't have cared."

I nodded in his direction. That was good to know.

"So, what's up? What brings you to my boiler room?" he said staring at the boiler.

I shrugged.

He nodded, knowing I didn't like talking.

"Look, I have some shit and a load of cash my dad dumped on me before the cops took him. If you drive, we can get the fuck out of here."

I didn't need his cash, but if we used it instead of my credit card, then the Cullen's wouldn't be able to track me down and make me feel like shit for leaving like I did. It sounded like a plan to me.

I nodded okay and lay down.

"Cool, man, in the morning then," he said.

I lay down on the smelly blankets. I had slept in worse places. At least this place was warm and dry, and no one was trying to molest me. Before I fell asleep, I said a quick prayer for Bella and another one for myself, hoping the nightmares stayed away and my girl was safe and happy.

At least she deserved for God to watch out for her.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	34. Chapter 34

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 34 – Deep Water**

**Edward**

The next morning, I woke up to a tapping. I turned to see Tyler leaning against the door. "Who is it?" he asked.

"Open up, fucker. Josh told his dad about what your buddy did to him and he's pissed."

Tyler opened the door and I jumped to my feet, ready to fight. The guy looked over at me with fear in his eyes. "Dude, you've got to get the fuck out of here. Rico's pissed and he's looking for you. You'll be lucky if the bastard doesn't cut off your junk and use it for an antenna decoration."

Tyler was packing up his shit at super speed. He was obviously panicked, which didn't help my nerves any. "Come on, man, we've got to get the fuck out of here now," Tyler yelled as he slung his bag on his back and ran for the door as if his ass was on fire.

When we ran outside, we were stopped in our tracks. My car was surrounded by big ass motherfuckers with guns. They looked like they would have no problems killing us just for fun. I knew I was dead.

"Hey, Gringo, you look scared shitless," the leader said.

I could hear Tyler cursing quietly behind me, "Shit shit shit…"

I saw the Josh kid with the dislocated arm standing behind his dad looking all pissed off. I could tell he was in pain, but he was trying hard to look tough. Pussy wouldn't be so tough if he wasn't being chaperoned by a fucking gun-toting entourage.

"You want to explain to me why you messed with my kid?" the leader asked pointing his gun at me.

I was shocked to hear Tyler's voice. "He dislocated his arm because he was starting shit when he was trying to get high."

The man looked at his son and pointed to his arm. "Dislocated, eh?" I nodded yes and he smiled. "I'll bet you could've mess the little fucker up good."

Josh stepped back and his eyes widened.

I just nodded my head yes. He had no idea.

"But you didn't, why not?"

"He's Tyler's friend. I just wanted him to sit down and shut up."

The leader started laughing and the whole crowd followed. He shoved Josh forward toward me. "Can you fix it?"

That was totally not how I thought this meeting would go. I nodded my head yes. I'd had plenty of experience with dislocated limbs. They weren't hard to reset, it just hurt like hell.

I shoved Josh to the ground as he whimpered like a damn pussy. I grabbed his arm, wedged my foot into his shoulder, and yanked, popping his shoulder back into place. Josh screamed like a little girl, but then he shut up. I noticed his dad glaring down at him.

The leader walked over to Tyler and leaned down, talking next to his shoulder. Tyler's eyes were darting all over the place as if he was looking for somewhere to hide. Yeah, not happening.

"Where were you headed, Niño?" the leader asked Tyler.

"I don't know. Edward just wanted to drive, you know, take off. We were just going to get away for a while," he answered nervously.

The leader started laughing and that made me even more nervous.

"Are you packing your father's gun?" he asked.

Tyler shook his head no.

"Why not?" he asked as if Tyler toting a piece should have been normal. Hell, to these guys it probably was.

"Maria has it; she won't let me in the apartment."

The group started laughing at Tyler.

I just glared at them all. What did they expect, for him to go up against a bitch with a gun?

The leader noticed my ire. "Your friend is either really brave or fucking crazy to look at my crew like that."

Tyler didn't answer this time.

"I think I like him," the leader chuckled. He winked at me and it made my skin crawl. Fucker was creepy.

"I have a job for you, and since I like your friend, I'll let him in on it."

I watched Tyler swallow hard. That didn't bode well for whatever this fucker had in mind.

"That your car?" he asked me and I nodded yes. He smiled and said, "Good, you're going to need it."

"Marco, Alonzo, you two go bring the shit."

Two guys left to go get whatever it was they were planning on stashing in my car, and before I could say anything, a third jimmied my car door open. Fucker didn't even ask for the keys, dumbass. He turned, smiling at me with his rotten teeth, "Nice ride."

The leader walked over to me and patted my shoulder. "Don't worry, Eduardo, once it's loaded, you won't even be able to tell it's there."

Fuck.

What the hell had we gotten ourselves into?

**Bella**

I had less than a month left before my due date. My baby boy was growing fast and I felt every kick, especially the ones aimed at my bladder. The baby must have been built like his father. This pregnancy was progressing so fast I barely believed it was happening some days. Of course, my belly was too huge now to be denied.

George surprised me with a car seat with little fish all over it. I had to laugh. I didn't know where he found it, but I knew he must have had to look really hard to find it. He had also gotten the baby a tiny fishing pole and a junior tackle box. He claimed that since he never had gotten to have kids, hence no grandkids, he was getting the spoiling urge satisfied by doting on my boy. He was so sweet.

He thought I should take the last couple of weeks to rest up, but I insisted on working. I needed the distraction to keep my mind from wandering too much back to Washington. Some days, that was harder to stop than others. The worst ones were days when I had my prenatal appointments. Edward should have been there for those, and seeing our baby on the sonogram made me miss him even more. I would have sworn the grainy image of our son looked just like him.

I noticed later that George was always scheduled to be at the shop the same time as me. He was worried about me and I thought that was really sweet of him. He made sure I sat down as much as possible and waited on me hand and foot. Some lady somewhere was really missing out on a wonderful man.

We were busy stocking for the Fourth of July sale. The shop had been really busy lately and the fishing gear was just flying off the shelves. I was not allowed to lift the boxes, but I finally convinced George to let me unload them. He brought a chair into the aisle we were stocking and insisted I sit down while I tagged the merchandise.

The way he worried over me, I was sure some of the costumers thought he was the father of my baby, which was pretty funny because someone asked me how far along I was once and George answered for me. The woman was so appalled it was hilarious. When I told George why she reacted that way over lunch, he nearly choked on his sandwich. He had made it a point to keep his mouth shut since then.

I talked to him a little about reducing my hours once I was able to come back to work after the baby was born. He surprised me by telling me I could bring the baby in with me.

"I'll give you a slow shift and we can set up some baby equipment in my office for you. We will make it work."

I burst into tears and hugged him tightly, thanking him over and over. Then I felt it. A sudden gush drenched my pants, running down my legs. I stepped back and looked at George wide-eyed.

"Did you…? Is that…? Is he…?" He couldn't finish his sentences he was so shocked.

I just nodded my head yes.

"Jacob, go call Renee and tell her to meet us at the hospital!" George shouted at the kid that was working with us for the summer.

George was driving a bit crazy, but I guess it was understandable. Renee came to a squealing halt in the hospital emergency lot, parking right next to us.

"Are you okay, honey? Are you in pain? Are you doing your breathing?" Renee asked.

She had taken the Lamaze class with me and had really gotten into it. I was really nervous about going, but I realized there were lots of single women in class, probably more than married ones, and I was able to relax a little more.

"I'm fine, Mom, my water just broke," I answered her.

"Okay, baby, come on, let's go see the doctor." I didn't know if she realized it, but she had a death grip on poor George's hand. He looked a little scared as she dragged him along. I couldn't help but laugh a little at the sight of it. Of course, when I did, I had a contraction from hell.

All of George's nerves were pushed aside and he quickly picked me up from my bent over position and hurried me into the hospital. "She's having her baby, somebody come help her, she's having it now!" he shouted as he entered the doors.

A nurse came running forward with a wheelchair. "How far along are you?" she asked me just as another contraction hit.

I couldn't answer her so George surprised everyone by answering for me. "She's thirty-nine weeks and three days."

The nurse smiled at him and he blushed. I realized then that the nurse was probably close to George's age and very pretty. I smiled at him and he waved his hand at me. "Go on, go have your baby," he said embarrassed.

The doctor came out to meet us and George warned him that he had better take good care of me and my baby or he might find himself in an alligator pit.

The nurse fished a little, saying my father was sweet.

I smiled brightly at her and told her that he was just my very sweet employer and that he was single.

She blushed and smiled widely, her face lighting up.

Oh, this was too cute.

Somehow, these two really needed to get together.

**A/N: Look at all my updated awesomeness. Now review, chickens, I want to hear from you!**


	35. Chapter 35

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Bottom of Form****A/N: Edward is not in a gang. He's just friends with someone whose father is in a gang. Unfortunately for poor Edward and Tyler, they have to do what Rico wants if they want to live. It was Rico's way of punishing them for messing with his family and he was just going easy on them because he likes Edward.**

**Chapter 35 – Road trip from hell**

**Edward**

I was driving cross country to Orlando down in Florida. I was supposed to park my car in a lot and walk away with Tyler. Apparently, the transaction had already been taken care of and they just needed to deliver the shit that had been purchased. Unfortunately, it was my damn car that was being sacrificed for this little adventure. I looked at it as cheap life insurance. Damned inconvenient, but what the hell else was I supposed to do?

Tyler looked freaked out. He kept glancing at me and then over his shoulder. I wasn't sure if there was something or someone to be looking at, but he was making me a fucking bundle of nerves doing that shit.

The third day of driving, he finally broke the silence. "I'm sorry, man. We should have taken off that night. I knew it wasn't safe. That's why I wanted to get the fuck out of there, but you were in no shape to drive, man. I'm sorry."

I could have been pissed off at him, but I decided not to be. He had spoken up for me more than once now and put his neck on the line. "So, you think we'll survive this?" I asked.

He sniffled a little and checked his gun. "I don't know," he finally answered.

Rico had given both of us guns to protect his goods while we traveled. It freaked me out, but I was in no position to refuse it, and I didn't think he would have listened to me anyway. I had never used a gun and left it under the seat because I didn't want to use it.

I wasn't a killer.

As we drove through Florida, I thought of Bella. She was so close and yet so far right now. There was no way I could stop and see her. I couldn't risk bringing this shit right to her door and putting her in any kind of danger. The way Tyler kept looking over his shoulder made me think someone was following us. It would make sense that Rico would have a guy watching us. I didn't want them to know about Bella so I wouldn't stop. I would stay away from her for her own safety.

We finally arrived at the designated place and I parked my car. I made a show of shoving my gun in my pants so whoever was watching us make the drop would know not to mess with me. I walked away, strutting my best badass walk I could muster. If I was going to fucking die, I wanted to do it with my head held high, not like some sniveling pussy.

Before we arrived, I had used my phone to call a cab to have them pick us up. I had a feeling I wouldn't be getting my car back. As we got out, I saw a black VW Rabbit drive by slowly and then take off, followed by a silver Jag which I assumed was Rico's guy because Tyler nodded his head at him as we walked away.

The driver of the cab looked like he was about to shit himself when he saw Tyler and me. I guess we did look a bit rough around the edges. "It's bulletproof glass," he said in a shaky voice.

I rolled my eyes. "Just take us to a fucking hotel."

He nodded his head and pulled out into traffic.

Then Tyler added, "One by the beach." I looked at him and he said, "What? I need to relax after that shit, don't you?"

I couldn't help but laugh and patted him on the shoulder. "Yeah, we deserve a break after getting out of there with our balls intact." There was no way in fucking hell I was going back for my car. I figured I would chill for a couple of days and when Tyler got the all clear from Rico, I would just report the damn thing stolen. That was what insurance was for anyway.

**Esme**

I looked over his bills. Other than his cell phone being used once three days ago in Orlando, Edward was off the grid. I hoped that he had come to his senses and was making up with Bella. That was the only reason I could think of for him being in Florida.

Dr. Kate said he had made no progress since he returned from spring break. In fact, he had gotten more protective of Alice, forbidding her to see Jasper. That had caused a huge rift between the two of them and had Alice sneaking around to see Jasper behind his back, which I knew she hated doing. It was truly a disaster.

Then he just stopped.

I didn't know what had happened, but he just stopped caring all together. He still kept an eye on Alice, but once she was moved into her own room, he became completely withdrawn, like he had lost his reason for living and it scared the daylights out of me. He was just a boy and he had seen too much. I feared his demons were getting the better of him.

So when I found that he had made a call in Orlando, Florida to a cab company, I silently prayed that it was to take him to see Bella.

I needed Edward to be safe.

I figured I would give them a week and then I would try and contact him. Hopefully by then, he and Bella would have worked out whatever their issues were and he would be ready to come home.

**Bella**

Fifteen hours!

It took me fifteen hours of labor to push this kid out, but I finally did it! I should have gotten a flipping award for Mother's Day.

I laughed internally at that thought, Mother's Day.

I was a mom and it was so freaky.

I looked at the little dark-haired baby boy curled up in my arms. His curly hair had reddish highlights and he was perfect, from his little red pudgy cheeks to his little chunky toes. Apparently, I had kept him well fed because this little monster was a whopping nine pounds thirteen ounces. No wonder my cooch still felt like I had humped a telephone pole.

I had bought watermelons that size, but he was too adorable to complain about his size or his stubborn refusal to exit my uterus. The boy finally popped out like a champagne cork!

A nurse came in and helped me get him to breastfeed. He took to it quickly. She called him a natural. Wasn't breastfeeding supposed to be natural?

When I asked her that, she told me that it was a lot harder than it seemed. For something natural, it was very difficult for most women. That was why so many of them gave it up.

I watched my little chubby boy eat, grunting with contentment as he did and I was glad that he knew what he was doing because I sure as hell didn't.

I couldn't help but wish Edward was here. I missed him so much and I wanted him to know his son. I knew he would just love him. Who wouldn't love him? He was perfect.

I had been home for six weeks when George dropped by, begging me to come back to work. He complained that Jake was a lazy bastard that only woke up when the shop bell chimed. Apparently, he had only been staying awake before to flirt with me. I told George he was full of it and Jake probably just needed some food for energy. When I grabbed a tray of lasagna and pointed to the baby carrier with little EJ in it, he jumped up smiling.

He loved my son so much.

I knew this was absolutely true when we walked into his office at the fishing shop to find a playpen, baby swing, and exercise saucer. All fish themed, of course. I hugged George again, thanking him. He truly planned on keeping me around and I would stay as long as he would let me.

When Jake seemed to stay at attention and actually work while I was there, George teased me once again about Jake liking me. He was just a kid, though, I thought to myself and then bit my tongue. He was the same age as Edward. My boy was just a kid, too. I hoped that he was doing well. I missed him horribly.

Jake had taken to little EJ, too, happily taking him from me so I could tag things or help a costumer with a product I knew more about. George usually worked with us, but lately he had me locking up because he had started seeing Nurse Gretchen. I was happy for him. She was a complete sweetheart to me at the hospital and the way they blushed around each other was just adorable. I really hoped things worked out well for them.

It was one of my lock up nights when we heard the shop bell chime, signaling that someone had come in. Jake took the baby from me because he insisted I was a better salesman. I believed George was right the first time in saying that Jake was a lazy bastard.

I walked to the front of the store and stopped when three large dark-skinned guys started to eye me leeringly. The one in the front looked me up and down and then smiled. "Is Jake here?"

Jake must have heard because he came running out with little EJ in his arms. One of the guys smirked at him like they were going to laugh, but Jake glared at them and they shut up fast. He passed me little EJ and stepped in front of me, blocking the men's view of me.

"What are you doing here, Sam?" Jake asked sternly. He was just a boy, but as he spoke like this, he suddenly sounded very much like a man.

"Your dad has a job for you."

Jake shook his head. "My dad wants me clean. I doubt he wants me to do anything."

"This is a clean job; we just need some information on a deal that went bad."

Jake glanced back at me and then to Sam. "This isn't the place to discuss this."

Sam smirked at me then winked. "Sure thing, Jake. You got a back room, honey?" he asked me.

Jake looked annoyed. "Fine," he snapped and turned his back to me, walking toward the back room. Just as the men were about to follow, he stopped. "Don't touch the girl," he warned with a menacing glare.

"Sure thing, Jakey," another creepy guy said. They all walked past me without incident.

I sat down at the front counter, trying not to listen, but the room was far from sound proof.

"Rico shorted us on our last deal. He had two kids make the drop. Your dad doesn't think they're part of his crew. He thinks Rico was actually trying to get us to off them for him. You know how your dad hates doing other people's dirty work. He wants us to confirm they're part of Rico's gang before we off them."

"Send Leah in, she's head of intel," I heard Jake say.

"We did, but she went for the wrong guy. Apparently, baby face isn't into women because he turned her down flat, sneering at her to fuck off. It was fucking hilarious to watch," I heard Sam laughing.

"What the hell does any of this shit have to do with me?" Jake asked.

"You're a pretty boy, maybe you can get him to go for you, Jakey," one of the other guys taunted.

"Shut the fuck up, Paul. Look, I have to get back to work. Tell Dad to send Leah in after the other guy for intel; she's a whore on his payroll, she'll fuck who we tell her to. Now I have work to do so get the fuck out of here."

"So that's it? You want me to tell your dad no?" Sam asked surprised.

"No, I said to tell Leah to try again, fucker. I didn't tell my dad no," he snapped.

"Right, right. Okay, Jake, I'll let Mr. Black know."

The three men eyed me as they passed the counter on the way out. I had to fight to keep from visibly shuddering. Sam tipped his hat and winked at me, quickly looking over his shoulder to make sure Jake didn't catch him doing it. I didn't know who the hell Jake's dad was, but I had a feeling he wasn't someone good.

What the hell was going on here?

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	36. Chapter 36

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 36 – Precarious view**

**Esme**

I had given it a week, but I had gotten nothing. Edward hadn't come home or called, and we hadn't seen anymore transactions that could possibly tell us where he had gone. I was beyond worried at this point, and Alice was near inconsolable. I called Renee, Bella's mother, because I didn't want to worry Bella or distract her from her studies. I was sure if she knew Edward was missing, she would drop everything to look for him and I didn't want her to do that.

"Hello?" Renee sang into the phone.

"Hello, Renee, this is Esme. I know we haven't met, but I'm Edward's guardian."

"Guardian?"

"Well, I was until he turned eighteen. That's not why I'm calling, though. My son is missing. He hasn't checked in for a couple of weeks now. He used his cell phone about a week ago in Florida. I was hoping that he was with Bella."

"No, we haven't seen him. He hasn't been by. Have you spoken to Charlie? I'm sure he could help. He would know who to talk to here."

"No, I haven't, I was hoping he would just come to his senses and come home, but he hasn't, nor has he called. I'm sorry to bother you."

"It's no bother, Esme. I'm sorry I couldn't have been more help. Please do call Charlie; he'll know what to do."

"I will. Thank you."

I hung up from Bella's mother even more worried than before. Where on earth could Edward be, and what was he doing that he couldn't call home? When he did come home, he was going to get a piece of my mind.

After I hugged him senseless.

**Edward**

We had been living on the beach for a month now. We ran out of money fast and I still hadn't gotten hungry enough to whip out a credit card. I knew the moment I did, the Cullen's would come looking for me and I couldn't do that to them. These people we were dealing with were crazy and dangerous, and I had no doubt that they wouldn't hesitate to hurt my family. I had to keep them out of this.

After the same whore hit on Tyler that had hit on me the week before, he freaked out. He said that she was probably working for the people we had made the drop for and they were trying to decide if they wanted to kill us or not.

We had been on the run ever since. I didn't know what good it had done us. Tyler was still always looking over his shoulder and the fucker was damn right to do it because that silver Jag was always there watching us.

I finally asked Tyler who was in the Jag.

"Nikko, he's seeing if we make it out alive. I think he's here to kill us if we do," Tyler said sadly.

"Why doesn't he just fucking kill us now?" I snapped getting tired of all this running.

"They want the rival gang to do it. If they do, then they can talk shit and say dealing with them isn't safe for your men and you should deal with them instead."

"So what, they're trying to drum up some extra business?"

"Looks like it," Tyler said tossing a rock into the ocean.

These damn people were a bunch of sick bastards, that was for damn sure.

**Bella**

It was a couple of weeks later when Sam showed up again. I was getting ready to lock up when we heard the door chime. I went to see who it was and regretted it.

Sam was here to visit Jake, with his two slime balls in tow again. I really wished Jake would keep this crap out of George's store. I hated the danger these men posed to all of us, even though I had no idea what kind it was. I just knew they were trouble.

"Hey, honey, is Jake around?" Sam asked taking off his hat like he was a gentleman.

Again, Jake came out, but not in a hurry like last time. I noticed the other two jerks were being more polite than usual.

He handed me EJ and smiled. "Give us a minute?" he asked me. I nodded yes because what the hell was I supposed to say? Jake surprised me by kissing my cheek and then walking to the back room, followed by the men. I stood stunned for a moment, but then I made my way over to the counter so I could sit and listen.

"The punks made Leah so we need you to go in and talk to them," Sam said.

"Fine. What does my dad want me to do?" Jake asked.

It was silent for a moment.

"Mr. Black, I have your son here, you said you wanted to speak to him?" Sam said. They had apparently put the phone on speaker, so I could hear Jake's dad clearly.

"Yes, Jake, I have a job for you, but you should stay clean doing it. We just need to know who these jokers are. The way they're acting is insane. They've been living on the beach for the past month thinking they can get away from us. Rico's guy is still watching them as well. They should have made the drop and gotten the fuck out of town, but they didn't. They're just sitting ducks, waiting for someone to kill them like idiots."

"They're probably just a couple of stupid kids, Dad. Rico probably strong-armed them into a job and they're not savvy enough to know they needed to make themselves scarce one they finished."

"I know, but I'm not doing Rico's dirty work. If he wants them dead, he can kill them himself. Now go tell those boys to make themselves disappear before someone else does it for them."

"Okay, Dad."

"Son, I have one other matter I want to discuss with you."

"Yeah, what's that?"

"Emily," his father stated as if that should answer everything.

"What?" Jake sounded confused.

"Check the perimeter," Sam suddenly commanded of his companions. The two goons came out, nodding at me as they made their way outside. One stood by the shop door and the other walked off, probably around the building.

There must have been a silent exchange between Sam and Jake because suddenly Jake didn't sound so confused anymore.

"What do you want me to do with her, Jake?" his dad asked. "Is it really your kid or is she just trying to nail this one on you?"

"No, Dad, Emily wouldn't do that to me. If she came to you for help, then you know it's got to be mine."

"Well, Son, what do you want me to do with her? Sam tells me you're with the girl you work with now and that she has a dark-haired kid. Is that one yours, too?"

"No, Dad, she had the kid before we met. Well, she was pregnant with it anyway."

"Well, where's its father?"

"Fuck if I know, she never talks about him and from what I can make out, he isn't in her life so why do I care?"

"If you love her, Jake, you should know your competition. I could have him found and have him taken out for you."

"No, Dad, if I win Bella, it'll be on my own merit just like you won Mom."

There was a hardy laugh. "Fine, Son, but what should we do with Emily? I don't think she'll be keen on getting an abortion willingly. I've got people that can do it however necessary."

"I don't want her to get one, Dad. Just send her someplace nice and quiet so she can raise my kid in peace."

"Fine, but you need to stop going through my whores, Jake, the way you've been going through them, I'm going to go out of business."

"Sorry, Dad."

"Who do you want to keep an eye on her?"

"Sam, I trust him. I wonder where you get some of these fuckers, Dad, but Sam is loyal. He'll keep my kid safe."

"Alright, he likes his position, though, so I don't know if he'll give it up to babysit your brat."

"He will if you ask him to, Dad, and you know it."

"Fine, fine, is he there with you?"

"Yes."

"Is he scowling at you?"

"Yes," Jake answered again laughing.

Mr. Black started laughing as well. "You see what your loyalty has cost you, Sam? You're getting assigned to babysit now. You've been reduced to a bodyguard for a whore."

"If she's carrying your grandchild, Sir, then it isn't a problem," Sam answered.

"Good man, Sam, good man. When you come back in, I want you to have a list of possible replacements for you. I'll have your flight information ready by this evening. Say your goodbyes."

"Yes, Sir."

"And Jake?"

"Yes, Dad?"

"From now on, use a fucking condom."

**A/N: Good advice for anyone not wanting to get knocked up! Okay, chicas, gimme some love!**


	37. Chapter 37

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 37 - Caught**

**Bella**

I was still stuck in the front room listening to Jake and Sam talking to Jake's dad on the speaker phone. It got quiet, so they must have hung up because what I heard Sam say next shocked me. "Thank you, man, for saving my baby. Fuck, I'm free. I'm getting out," Sam said and he sounded very happy and relieved.

I heard some manly pats like they were hugging.

"I fucking owe you, man. If you ever need anything, just ask and it's yours," Sam said sounding very happy.

The men came out of the back room a few minutes later. Sam had a scowl on his face, but there was a twinkle in his eyes. Jake smiled at me then apologized for keeping me so late.

I said it wasn't a big deal because I didn't want to embarrass him in front of these guys and, well, I wanted him to stay after so we could talk. He put his arm around my waist and waved goodbye to the goons, but he released me as soon as they were out of sight.

"So, you want to tell me what's going on?" I asked.

"Nothing you should know. It's best to keep your nose out of my father's business," he said picking up the car seat and setting it on the counter so I could put EJ in it.

"What about the business of you kissing my cheek? What was that about?"

"Just keeping you safe. My father won't let anyone touch someone I'm interested in."

"What?"

"You're safe, Bella. That's all you need to know."

"Are you interested?" I asked curious if George was right.

His eyes snapped up to mine. "It's not safe for me to get involved with anyone," he said stoically.

"I don't understand; you say you're with me to keep me safe, but then you say I'm not?"

He groaned. "You're safe now. You weren't before. I'm sure you saw the difference in how the guys treated you. I'm sorry, Bella. I never thought they would come here. My dad promised my mom that I would have a normal life. That I would be kept clean and be able to fall in love like he did with her, but he doesn't realize that's never going to happen for me. I'll never be safe. From the day I was born, I was his son and a target, and so that makes anyone I get involved with a target as well. I'm not safe."

I finally understood what he meant and I realized that this boy was more of a man than I had believed before. I could see the weight of the world in his eyes. A profound sadness carried through him that I didn't recognize before. He wasn't lazy, he was sad and lonely.

"What about Emily? Is she safe?"

I realized my mistake when his eyes widened in shock. "You heard us?" he said stalking forward.

"I didn't mean to, it's not like the room you were in is sound proof."

"Fuck, Bella, are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"No one knows I heard, just you," I offered hoping he wouldn't care enough to kill me.

"Jesus, just keep your fucking nose out of my father's business," he snapped.

"I didn't put it in it!" I retorted.

"Don't ever repeat a word of what you heard to anyone, do you hear me?" he said towering over me. "I mean it, Bella; don't go trying to save the world, just keep your fucking mouth shut," he glared down at me, scaring me.

The baby started fussing and it was then I realized I was shaking violently in fear. For a boy, Jake was huge, and right now, he was terrifying. Something seemed to suddenly click in his mind and he suddenly stepped back wide-eyed.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Bella." He looked so sad and broken. "Just please, please don't get involved in my dad's shit, it's not safe and I would never forgive myself if something happened to you or EJ. Just please," he begged with sad eyes.

"I won't," I promised because I didn't know what else to do.

From the few guys I had encountered, it was obvious that Jake's dad was into some bad stuff because he had some seriously shady people working for him and they scared the crap out of me. I didn't want them to mess with me or my baby. Jake had already gone out of his way to keep them away from me, so I did my best to lay low and stay out of earshot whenever possible.

Besides, I reasoned with myself, I didn't exactly hear anything incriminating. If anything, Jake's dad was trying to save two kids by telling them to leave. That was something good, right? As for Emily, she was probably getting her happily ever after with Sam. From what I could tell, Mr. Black wasn't all bad.

I hung onto that thought and prayed that I was right.

**Edward**

I was hungrier than shit. I kept dozing off because I was weak and I didn't know what was going on around me. I stumbled to the trash can and found a half-eaten hot dog. I ate it, not even thinking twice about the ants I flicked off of it.

At least it wasn't a roach.

I was so out of it that I almost didn't notice the giant shadow looming over me.

"Get the fuck up," a huge guy said, shoving me over with his foot. I just looked up at him with bleary eyes. It was about time the bastards stepped up and killed us. I just lay there and closed my eyes, waiting to die. I thought of Alice and Bella. I felt bad that I never got to say goodbye and that Esme would never know what happened to me. I had a feeling she was worried about me.

"Damn it, fucker," the guy said and I felt someone grab me. "Man, I always get the smelly jobs," he complained.

All I could think was that's right, fucker, smell my funk.

I realized I was really mentally fucked up if I was fighting with stench instead of fists. I wondered where Tyler was. I looked around and saw that he wasn't that far from me. I want to yell for him to run, but my throat was too dry to shout. I guess if I had to admit it, I was kind of hoping to die on my own before the assholes got their hands on me.

I felt a sharp pain at the back of my head and everything went black.

I heard a voice in the distance and realized I was probably already dead because it was Bella's voice. God, it was beautiful. I wanted her to keep talking. I tried to focus on what she was saying.

"What the hell? Please tell me you didn't bring dead bodies in to work," Bella snapped at someone.

"Bella, please, give me some credit. I'm supposed to talk to them, but I can't if they keep passing out from starvation. You mind if I snag some of the food from the refrigerator for them?" the ass that didn't like my funk asked.

"Yes, of course, take as much as you need. Do you need me to help you with them?"

"No, we'll be fine. I don't want you around them until I know they're safe. Just stay out of sight, alright, girly?"

"Alright," she agreed and it was silent again. I had no reason to stay awake so I started slipping under again, but I heard Tyler scream and I wanted to wake up to help him. I tried to wake up more, but I couldn't. He seemed to settle down, though, so I stilled my efforts, listening for some idea of what was going on.

"Eat this," I heard a voice say. I heard Tyler munching away on something, moaning like he was getting off.

"This shit is good," Tyler complimented.

"Yeah, I know, my bitch can cook. Now hurry the fuck up."

I hoped he wasn't talking about Bella. Maybe I was just hallucinating it was her voice. As much as I wanted to hear it again, I didn't want it to be my Bella the guy was talking about.

The very idea made my chest ache and my stomach clench.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	38. Chapter 38

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 38 – Food for thought**

**Bella**

I was working with George when he asked if I would mind closing up again. Jake wasn't around so I figured I was safe from any visits and I didn't want to keep George from Gretchen. I shooed him out the door and locked up, getting ready to cash out the register.

I thought I saw something moving on the side of the building. I moved to the window, only to be scared half to death by Jake's head popping up.

He laughed at my scream and I cursed him as I unlocked the door, letting him in. That was when I noticed the two large lumps wrapped in blankets he had with him and wondered if he had brought dead bodies to the store. I was so going to kill him if he did.

He assured me they were alive and asked if it was okay to feed them and I agreed. Jake looked truly concerned for the kids he had brought in.

My mothering instincts were in overdrive and I offered to help with the boys, but Jake warned me to stay out of sight, trying to protect me again.

He was right, they didn't know these boys and if they ran with guys like Jake, it would probably be best to stay out of sight.

Of course, that didn't stop me from listening in.

I heard screaming, so I looked and I saw that Jake was just dumping a bucket of water over one of the guy's head. Once he was awake, Jake handed him a bottle of water and then passed him a container with my lasagna in it. I smiled when I heard the boy enjoying it thoroughly.

I was not pleased when Jake referred to me as his bitch. I was about ready to go psycho bitch on him and show him what that really meant. Jerk.

"What are you and your buddy still doing in our territory?" Jake asked.

"I, um, we're sorry," the kid answered.

Jake ran his hands through his hair. "Why were you guys making the drop?"

I saw his eyes dart nervously to his friend. "Rico wanted to get rid of us."

"That's what we thought. You tell him we're not doing his dirty work; if he wants you dead, he can do it himself."

"Please, man, we're nobody, just a couple of kids from Podunk, Washington. Look, I'm sorry, I swear we didn't do shit. My dad went to jail because of working for Rico. Rico was pissed because he kept me out of the business and now that my dad isn't around, I'm a liability that knows too much. My friend here just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He's never even done anything and he doesn't know anything. He was down visiting me at my dad's and fucked up Rico's son because he was about to shank me. He embarrassed him and Rico in front of his guys. Rico's going to fucking kill us if we go back to Portland, man. Please, don't make us go back there," the kid begged.

I saw Jacob soften his stance. I knew he could sympathize with this kid. "Let me make a call." He kicked the bucket over to him, "Wake up your friend; I'll bring him some food."

Jake walked in and narrowed his eyes at me.

I just shrugged at him.

"Bella, you've got to stop watching shit. One of these days, you're going to see something you shouldn't."

"I just wanted to be sure you were okay. There were two of them and one of you," I offered.

He didn't buy it; he just rolled his eyes at me. "Get some food for the other kid while I talk to my dad. I might be able to save these dumbasses."

I hurried into the break room and warmed up another serving of my lasagna. I knew whoever ate it would most likely enjoy the meal as much as the first guy.

I walked back into the store front just as Jake hung up his phone.

He smiled and thanked me for the food. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Don't call me your bitch again."

Jake swallowed and nodded. "You know it was just for show, right?"

"Did your dad refer to your mother as a bitch?"

"Not to her face."

"Keep in mind that I'm within earshot then."

"You shouldn't be."

"You shouldn't be here so just deal with it."

"I mean it, Bella. It's not safe," he said truly concerned. Then I heard EJ start to fuss.

"Go get the baby and stay out of sight, alright?"

I nodded in response, agreeing because I didn't want these thugs around my baby. There was no telling who they really were and there was no way I would ever knowingly put my son at risk.

**Edward**

Tyler woke me by dumping a bucket of water over me and it actually felt pretty good. He handed me a bottle of water that I downed in one swig and he said that some food would be coming in a minute.

We sat silently and I heard voices again.

"You shouldn't be here so just deal with it," the woman that sounded like Bella said.

"I mean it, Bella. It's not safe." My heart clenched at the asshole's words. He said Bella and I was begging that my girl was not mixed up with these thugs.

We heard a baby cry. It sounded like a newborn with its tiny voice. My heart broke. _Please don't let this be my Bella, please don't let it be my girl_, I begged silently.

"Go get the baby and stay out of sight, alright?" the asshole ordered the girl. I didn't hear her respond.

The guy came walking out with something in his hand. "Eat," he ordered.

I was about to tell him to fuck off when I caught a whiff of the most awesome food I had ever smelled. I could tell him to fuck off after I was done eating.

I chowed down, nearly growling at Tyler when he got too close and almost biting my own finger off in my haste to get the food into my mouth. Fuck, that was good.

**Bella**

I was in the store when three men came in. I recognized two of the goons as the guys that ran with Sam. I guess this new guy was Sam's replacement.

"Hello, Ms. Bella. Is Jake around?" he asked way more politely than I would have expected.

I smiled. "Yes, he's out back with his friends, would you like me to warm you up some lasagna, too?" I asked trying to play stupid.

"No, but thank you, I'll have to take a rain check," he said politely. The goons followed him, not even looking at me.

I moved to the window and sat under it, rocking the baby. He was still fussing a little so I decided to feed him while everyone was outside. This way I would be sure to keep him quiet.

I heard Jake greet the new guy, calling him Embry.

"Mr. Black would like to speak to him. He also wants to know what this other guy's story is," he stated plainly.

I heard someone speak up. "He beat up Rico's son."

I heard some snickering. "You expect us to believe that?" It sounded like Paul.

"He did, but Rico liked his style so he sent him off with me," one of the kids said.

"Tell me, kid, is this true?" Embry asked.

He must have shaken his head in answer.

"Don't be lying to me!" Paul snarled.

"I'm not! Fuck, man, tell them!"

The other kid cleared his throat several times. Then he spoke in a quiet scratchy voice. "I just dislocated his shoulder and shoved him down after I took his knife. He'd be in the hospital if I'd really beat him up."

The group of men all broke out laughing.

"So, you disgraced the little cretin. No wonder Rico wants you dead. He can't kill you himself because his son will look like the pussy he is." There was another round of laughing.

I didn't know who the boys were, but I hoped that Jake could help them. They sounded young and like they had just been caught up in a bad situation. Surely they did nothing that would warrant them being killed.

At least I was hoping that was the case.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	39. Chapter 39

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 39 – Who's your Daddy**

**Bella**

I heard them coming back in so I moved to the counter, quickly putting my breast away. I moved EJ to my shoulder to burp him. Jake was the first one in the store and moved quickly over to me. I looked at him confused and he rolled his eyes at me.

"Cover up," he whispered.

I looked down at myself, realizing the baby's knee was caught in my shirt, flashing everyone. I moved to cover myself, fumbling around the baby when Jake just got impatient and covered me quickly.

It wasn't fast enough, though, as Paul decided to whistle at what he thought was taking place. "Now's not the time to play, Jakey," he taunted.

Jake just glared at Paul along with Embry and he seemed to crumble under their withering stares.

"We're going to get the kids out of here," Jake said standing protectively in front of me. "They won't be coming back here," he said to me, nodding toward Embry and Paul. "Understood? If my dad wants to talk to me, it'll not take place here. I don't want Bella or EJ around this," Jake said sternly.

Embry and Paul nodded.

"Take the guys out around the back. I don't want them to see her. I want her kept safe," Jake ordered.

Embry snapped his fingers and the goons moved back outside where the kids were waiting for them. He stood in the doorway, waiting for Jake.

Jake had his back to them with a worried look in his eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered to me.

I didn't have time to ask for what when he kissed me, pulling me flush against him, squeezing little EJ between us.

My body didn't spark for Jake and I could tell I didn't affect him, either, as he ground his hips into me and there was nothing there to grind. I realized this was just for show so I ran my hand up into his hair and moaned in response.

"We don't have all night, Jakey," Paul snarked.

We pulled apart, panting for show. His eyes were sad, but I smiled at him, letting him know I understood.

"Go on, honey; don't keep your friends waiting. I'll still be here tomorrow."

"Right, see you later, baby," he said to me and rubbed little EJ's head, kissing my forehead. They hurried out the back way to where the guys were waiting.

I knew I should have stayed where I was and not peeked out the front window, but I wanted to see who these boys were that Jake was trying to save.

I tried to hide myself behind one of the displays to sneak a peek at them, but what I saw made me lose all my sense of self.

I gasped, knocking over the display I was hiding behind. The large crash insured that everyone saw that I was looking.

Edward's eyes locked with mine as he glared at me. I held EJ tightly to my chest, trying to protect him from his father's angry gaze.

Suddenly, he was knocked to the ground.

"You don't fucking look at the girl!" Paul shouted as he went after Edward. Jake pulled him off Edward and threw him across the parking lot like he was nothing.

"Enough!" he snapped. "Why are you looking at my bitch?" Jake roared protectively. I knew he thought Edward was a threat.

"She's not a bitch. A whore maybe, but not a bitch!" Edward snapped and I flinched at his words.

"Take that one to see Mr. Black. I'll be taking care of this one on my own," Jake snarled.

"You're supposed to stay clean, Jake," Embry warned.

"No body, no crime. I know where the gator pit is," Jake said coolly, grabbing Edward off the ground. "You're going to apologize, and then you're going for a swim."

Embry seemed to hesitate, but then he ushered the others into the car. Jake threw Edward in through the door of the shop and I ran to where he had landed to see if he was okay.

"Edward, oh, my god, are you okay?"

He just glared at me and then he looked at the baby on my shoulder, and then to Jake. It was then I realized he had yet to see EJ's green eyes.

"You know this punk, Bella?" Jake asked.

"Yes, please, you've got to get him out of here safely. Please, Jake."

"Even after what he called you?"

My eyes watered as I looked up at Jake. "It was a misunderstanding. I left before I could explain. We haven't spoken since."

Jake walked over, taking the baby from my arms and pulling me up off the ground. "Is it safe to let you talk to him?"

"I won't tell him anything, Jake, I swear."

"That's not what I meant, Bella, I trust you. I just wanted to know if you're safe with him."

"He won't hurt me."

Jake glared at Edward.

Edward growled in response. "I don't hit girls. Especially mothers," he added nodding to the baby.

"I'll just be in the office," Jake tried to reassure me. He glared at Edward, "One peep of discord out of her and you're dead. I won't give you another chance." He left with little EJ and I figured for now that would be for the best. I didn't know how Edward would react to the news of being a daddy.

As soon as the door was closed, Edward lunged at me. "Bella, what the fuck were you thinking getting involved with someone like him? He's a fucking drug lord!" he said gripping my arms painfully tight. "What the hell were you thinking? You have a fucking kid with him? Are you insane? Jesus, fuck, how long have you been seeing him? I mean were you fucking him when you were fucking me?"

"No!" I answered sharply.

"Were you fucking Jasper?"

I'd had enough of his mouth and just slapped him. "You don't know shit, so just shut up!"

Jake popped his head out with a fussy EJ. "You alright, Bella?" he asked walking over to us.

"I'm fine. I hit him, he didn't touch me."

Jake smiled at me. "Mind if I watch?"

"Jake," I snapped taking EJ from his arms, "Just go. Tell your goons Edward is gator food. I'm taking him home."

Jake looked from me to Edward and then looked at EJ and smiled. "Does he know?" I shook my head no. "You're going to have to take him out of the state; he can't come back here, Bella, not ever."

"I know. We'll go back to Washington."

Jake hugged me, "Alright, baby girl, you take care of yourself, and make sure you drop a note to George so he doesn't think I offed you."

"I will, and you make sure he sticks with Gretchen. She's good for him."

"I know, right? I've never seen the old fart smile so much," Jake laughed.

Edward cleared his throat, annoyed with us. Jake just rolled his eyes at him.

"Bella, if they find you, call me, I've got a couple of people that owe me some favors. I can help you disappear so you're safe."

I hugged Jake and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Jake, you be safe, too."

"I will, chicka, take care of my boy," he said rubbing EJ's head.

"I will."

Then Jake was gone and I was left with Edward.  
I looked at the display that I had knocked over. "Do you mind holding the baby while I clean this up?" I asked Edward. He just scowled at me. "Fine, be an ass, but you're going to have deal with his crying."

I took EJ into the office and strapped him into the baby swing and then hurried out to clean up quickly, trying not to let the baby's crying upset me too much.

Edward just stood there watching me with a scowl on his face. It only took a minute or two to right the display, but with a baby crying, it seemed like forever. I hurried over, grabbing EJ and settled him before I had to put him in the car seat.

"We'll spend the night at my mom's house, and we'll then head back to Forks."

"Why would I want to go anywhere with you?" he snapped at me.

"Quit being an ass, Edward. I just saved your neck. Now let's go." I held the shop door open for him waiting. "Come on now. I have to lock up."

He grumbled, following me out. I saw him looking around and I snapped at him, "Don't you dare take off. If they find you, they'll kill you, and I know for a fact that you already have another gang after you, too. It's best if we just get the hell out of here. I'm sure Alice and Esme are worried sick."

"And what about you?" he asked. I looked at him confused. "Were you worried?"

"I didn't even know you were missing, Edward. What the hell were you thinking getting involved with people like that?"

"Me? What about you? You have a fucking kid, Bella!"

I wanted to beat him to a bloody pulp for not looking reality in the face. "Let's go home so we can discuss this in private." I put EJ in the back and climbed in the car. I waited expectantly for him to get in. He finally broke down and climbed in. I held my breath as much as I could on the way to my mom's house. I loved my boy, but he needed a shower and some deodorant. Badly.

We made it back to my mom's house and I plopped a new razor in Edward's hand and pointed him in the direction of the bathroom before I settled down to finish feeding EJ. Edward came out and saw me breastfeeding and actually blushed. I wanted to laugh at him.

"He's almost done eating. We can talk after I put him to bed."

"Edward," my mom interrupted, "Could you do me a favor and please call Esme for me? I know she's worried sick about you."

He followed my mother reluctantly. I was sure Esme would be screaming at him for a while. He damn well deserved it, too.

I was just tucking EJ in when my mother showed him to the nursery. The casts of my belly lined the walls. He walked up and touched one, the smallest one. His brow furrowed when he saw the date on it and how far along I was.

"You were pregnant. The whole time we were together, you were pregnant." He was getting upset. He was going to wake up the baby if I didn't fix this now. I grabbed the latest picture of EJ off the dresser and shoved it into his hands. He looked at me confused. How could he not see the resemblance? It was as plain as the shared features on his face!

"Look at him. Look closely at his eyes. They seem familiar to you?" His face scrunched up. "My birth control was not effective for almost two month after I got out of the hospital in October, Edward."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know."

"Yes, you did!" he pointed at the first cast.

"I was five months along when I found out I was pregnant, Edward. I had no idea! I just thought I was getting fat. Look at the date. I had just found out I was pregnant three days earlier and you weren't talking to me then. I wasn't about to call you knowing you didn't want anything to do with me."

"You should have told me, Bella," he accused.

"How was I supposed to do that when you weren't even speaking to me and thought I was fucking my friend? You were an ass! You called me a fucking bitch. You threw a tantrum like an angry, petulant child. You're not ready to be a father, Edward."

"And that fucking asshole, Jake, is?"

"Don't even start on Jake. The only reason those goons came to the shop in the first place was because of you and your buddy. I would've never have even met them and never needed protection otherwise."

"What do you mean?"

"The guys Jake runs with are less than gentlemanly, Edward. They would've raped me in a heartbeat if they didn't think Jake was dating me. He did what he did to keep me safe."

"Think?"

"We're not together, Edward; it was an act so his goons would keep their hands off me. You really think they would be that polite otherwise?"

He was quiet for a minute, letting it all sink in.

"So, you're sure he's mine?" he nodded toward the crib.

I glared at him. "I haven't fucked anyone else, Edward. You were it; if you're not the father, then I need to register for Immaculate Conception status because you're the only guy I've been with."

He looked down at the picture of our little boy and traced his face with his finger. "He has my chin."

"I think he'll have your nose, too. Really, he's going to be quite handsome. We're probably going to have to move to a deserted island to keep the girls off of him."

Edward smiled at me. "We?"

I shrugged. "If you're interested."

"Oh, Bella, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry I fucked up so bad. I messed up everything. I messed up everything because I'm such a fuck up. I'm so sorry," he said pulling me into his arms.

He buried his face in my hair, nuzzling me closely. It felt so good to be in his arms again. So different than when Jake put an arm around me or held me. Edward made every inch of my skin tingle awake. He made every part of me come alive and I still wanted him. Even though I shouldn't, even though he was a hot-headed, immature ass, I just couldn't help it.

I loved him.

**A/N: Thanks for reading please review.**


	40. Chapter 40

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 40 – Coming home**

**Bella**

To say I was nervous to go back to Forks was an understatement. I had been gone for so long and now I was suddenly showing up with a kid. Esme was supposed to pick us up from the airport. I just hoped she didn't take one look at me and EJ and turn the other way while dragging Edward off.

Edward was enamored with his son, but he was terrified of him at the same time. He was so scared to drop him when he held his little boy.

"He's so tiny and he squirms a lot. I don't want to squish him. What if I hold him too tight? I don't want to hurt him," he worried as he held EJ for the first time.

"You'll get the hang of it," I encouraged.

We were sitting on the plane when I decided I should feed the baby to keep him from crying the whole way.

"You can't do that here," Edward whispered shocked.

"I'm covered. Sucking will help his ears not hurt when we take off," I defended.

He made me move to the window seat and leaned forward, blocking me from everyone. He kept looking at me nervously.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

I nodded yes. "You're going to have to get used to me feeding the baby, Edward; he eats a lot."

"I don't mind you feeding him. I just don't want anyone seeing what's mine."

I rolled my eyes at his caveman statement. "I'll do my best not to flash my jugs around."

We had been flying for a while when the flight attendant came and offered Edward something to drink. I hated that she was bending over so far, trying to flash _her_ jugs at my boy.

I smiled when Edward leaned away from her, grabbing my hand. "You need something to drink, baby?" he asked me.

I smiled at his clear disgust for this woman. "Yes, I need to stay hydrated. Water would be nice."

He smiled, locking eyes with me, not looking away. "We need some water, Ma'am."

EJ picked that moment to kick and squeal, causing Edward to smile brilliantly. He leaned over, kissing EJ on the top of the head and then tickled his neck and belly with his whiskers, causing him to squeal in delight and Edward to laugh with him.

I saw the flight attendant look at my family with longing in her eyes and all I could think of was yup, it's pretty awesome, isn't it.

We stood at the baggage claim, trying to find our bags and EJ's car seat. I had EJ tucked into the baby carrier on my back and was scanning the line for our bags when a screeching squeal cut through the air.

A dark-haired blur slammed into Edward and I would have been worried except I saw a smiling Jasper a few feet away shaking his head.

"Alice, get off me," Edward groaned from his place on the floor.

Jasper hooked Alice with one of his arms and lifted her with ease then offered his other hand to Edward to help him off the floor.

"I thought Esme was picking us up?" Edward asked.

"Oh, she is, but I was in town visiting Jasper when I got the call that you were flying in so I stayed so I could ride back with you."

Edward and I exchanged nervous glances. If Carlisle had come as well, there would not be enough room in the car for all of us.

Before anything could be said, Esme came hurrying up waving her hand at us, pulling a smiling Carlisle behind her.

"Edward!" she said with such relief as she hugged him.

Carlisle pulled him into his arms next and then held him out at arm's length, checking him over. "How are you doing? You okay, Son?" he asked truly concerned.

Edward just nodded his head yes.

While this was going on, I watched the baby seat come down the belt and make two rounds. I was too nervous to grab it. No one seemed to notice the baby on my back or the black diaper bag at Edward's feet. I guess it did look pretty inconspicuous, like a typical carry-on bag. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. I had no idea how they were going to take this.

Edward grabbed his and my bags off the carousel and his father asked us if we were ready to go. "Almost, I just need to grab one more thing," Edward said and snatched the car seat off the belt before it went around again.

Everyone stared at him confused and I nearly fainted.

Edward seemed to just be ignoring them. "Jasper, can you give me a hand with the bags?" he asked.

Jasper seemed to snap out of his daze and picked up our suitcases. They watched as Edward picked up the diaper bag and slung it over his shoulder, bringing the bottle of baby powder in the side pocket into view. They stared as he grabbed his carry-on bag and then the car seat. He looked expectantly at Carlisle, "So, where did we park?"

"Uh, Edward," Esme stuttered, "Why do you have a car seat, dear?"

"For my son," he stated plainly, as if it was common knowledge.

All eyes snapped to me and I blushed a deep red. I hooked my thumb, pointing over my shoulder, "He's asleep."

The silence around us was nearly deafening.

**Edward**

I wasn't really sure how to break it to them that I had a kid, but this seemed just as good as any. Bella paled and then turned the deepest shade of red I had ever seen her when she informed everyone that the baby was sleeping.

"Where did you get a baby?" Carlisle asked me.

Did he think I picked it up at the store or something? "Seriously?"

He cleared his throat nervously. "Edward, you were gone for nearly three months and you come back with a baby. I don't know about you, but last time I checked, it took nine months to grow one of those."

I looked over at Bella, "I know what you mean," I said and winked at her, making her blush an even deeper red.

The baby began to fuss, so they watched me as I took him off Bella's back and tried to calm him. Esme was at my side instantly, running her fingers through his soft curls.

"He's adorable, Edward," she whispered completely mesmerized by my perfect son. I couldn't blame her, it happened to me all the time. He was really just amazing. I would sit and watch him sleep and wiggle all day if I could.

Bella slowly came over and pulled a pacifier out of the diaper bag. She popped it into his mouth like the baby expert she had become and he settled right down.

Esme gasped when EJ finally stopped crying and opened his eyes, looking at her. His eyes were the most vivid green I had ever seen. Bella insisted that they looked just like mine, but I thought his were much more wonderful.

"He has your eyes," Esme said looking up at mine.

I looked over at Bella where she mouthed 'told ya.'

"Has he been properly examined?" Carlisle asked looking down at my tiny son.

I looked to Bella because I didn't know. She nodded her head yes.

"Yes," I answered Carlisle as he did his own examination on the baby in my arms.

"And he's healthy, no jaundice or any problems like that?" he asked.

I looked to Bella again and she shook her head no.

"He's fine, Carlisle; he's probably just hungry. The last time he ate was nearly five hours ago on the plane," I defended.

Esme squealed with excitement and I had no clue why. "Well, get him a bottle, Edward," she chided.

I looked over to Bella, who was standing there gaping at me. I cleared my throat before I spoke. "He's breast fed," I finally got out, feeling uncomfortable saying the word breast to Esme but knowing it was necessary. No way was I going to call it boobie fed.

All eyes snapped to my girl and she paled and swayed.

Jasper grabbed her and I growled. I didn't want the fucker touching her, but my hands were full of squirming baby. I was still trying to get the hang of holding him. He was so tiny and wiggled like a greased pig. I was terrified I was going to drop him or hurt him.

I relaxed a little when Carlisle stepped forward with his pen light and started checking my girl out. Esme pulled out some smelling salts from her pocket to use on my girl. Jasper looked at her confused.

"What? A woman fainting in Carlisle's presence is not uncommon. I know my husband is hot," she winked at Carlisle and grabbed his butt. I really didn't want to see that or the wink he sent back her way.

I moved closer so I could see what was going on.

"Bella, dear, are you okay?" Esme asked.

"When was the last time you ate?" Carlisle asked.

Bella groaned. "I'm so sorry. I was so nervous I completely forgot to eat."

I felt like a jerk for not making sure she had breakfast this morning. I needed to take better care of my girl.

"Edward, pass me the baby and help your father get Bella to the car," Esme ordered.

I did as she said and quickly took Jasper's place. I might have growled 'mine' at him, but I'd admit to nothing.

I was relieved when I saw they had brought the Expedition. It would be big enough to hold us all. I settled with Bella in the very back seat as Esme buckled up my son.

I was surprised to see Alice sitting quietly on the far side of the bench the baby was on. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest and she was scowling with the heat of a thousand hell fires. I knew I would get it from her later because she was definitely not happy with me.

**Bella**

I couldn't believe I had fainted. I was such a dork. I completely forgot to eat in my haste to get ready for our flight. What a moron. They probably thought I was an unfit mother. If I couldn't remember to feed myself, how was I supposed to remember to feed the baby?

I curled up into a ball, snuggling into Edward's side in the far back seat. I felt incredibly tired all of a sudden and my boy was more than happy to hold me and let me rest.

EJ had dozed off again, which I was happy for. I didn't think I was ready to breastfeed in front of everyone just yet. Flashing the ladies still made me a little uncomfortable, even though it was supposed to be the most natural thing to do. Maybe if you were a celebrity.

Alice was quiet and had a look on her face that made me nervous. I remembered the power Esme said Alice held over Edward and it scared me. If she didn't like us, if she didn't want EJ and me around, would Edward listen to her? Could she make him leave us?

Carlisle and Esme were holding hands in the front seat, acting as if this was completely normal. I wondered if they were pod people for a moment, but I was brought out of my thoughts by my phone ringing.

I glanced at the caller ID, thinking it was probably Charlie checking that I had gotten in alright, but it wasn't.

"Hello?" I said timidly.

"What the fuck, Swan, a baby?" Rose shouted at me.

My eyes darted around the car to see if anyone else had heard her shouting. Edward was scowling at my phone and Alice was sitting with a smirk.

Bitch.

Ooh, I was moody, that was not good.

"Well, answer me! How can you have a baby and not tell me or anyone for that matter? Did Edward even know?" Rose went on and she was really starting to annoy me.

"It was none of your business!" I snapped and hung up my phone.

Yup, I was definitely being moody. I needed to eat. I was sure Rose was having a shit fit right now. I just turned my phone off. Edward smiled and took it from my hand, kissing my wrist and then my cheek.

I melted a little and snuggled into his side.

God, my boy was sweet.

**A/N: So what do you think is up with Alice? Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	41. Chapter 41

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 41 – Getting Schooled**

**Edward**

Once we arrived at the Cullen's house, I took EJ and Bella to my room so she could feed him. He was getting very impatient with her. I watched as he frantically nuzzled and latched onto her quickly. His eager little grunts as he ate were adorable. He was a man's man, even as a baby. He was my son, he was perfect.

I kissed Bella's cheek and snuggled next to her. We weren't sitting long when there was a knock at my door. I pulled the baby blanket up over Bella and called for whoever it was to come in.

Esme came in with a large tray of food and a few bottles of water. "You need to eat and stay hydrated, dear."

EJ yanked the blanket off of himself and when I went to cover him again, the little shit growled at me, causing everyone to laugh.

"Just like his daddy," Bella said smiling down at my son.

My son.

I had a son.

I had a perfect, beautiful little boy.

It all seemed so surreal, like I was going to wake up any minute and he was not going to be here and my girl would be gone.

I pulled Bella closer to me. She leaned into me, kissing my jaw for reassurance. It was like she could read my mind. She knew how much I needed her.

She reached for a bottle of water and I quickly took it from her and opened it for her. She thanked me, kissing the same spot on my jaw. My girl was perfect.

"He's a good eater," Esme said. I had forgotten she was there.

"Yes, he is," Bella answered smiling down at our son.

"So, what are your plans?" Esme asked looking right at me. Bella's eyes darted between us. We hadn't talked about this. Bella surprised me by speaking. I didn't like what she had to say, though.

"I think Edward should stay in school and finish off his senior year. You need to continue going to therapy, too, dear."

"No, I'm getting my fucking GED and I'll get a job so I can take care of you both."

"Edward," Esme said my name softly. I knew she didn't like cussing, but her not getting on my case for it worried me. "Dr. Kate would like you to go back to seeing her regularly. You don't need to get a job to support your son; we can easily take care of his expenses while you finish school."

I narrowed my eyes at Esme and then looked at Bella. She didn't look happy, either.

"Thank you, but I don't need any help, Esme. I plan on staying with Charlie. He has a job lined up for me down at the station as his assistant helping him with his paperwork. We'll be fine," Bella said firmly.

"What?" I snapped. "Who's going to watch my son? No way in hell am I letting you take him to work with you there! You've already proven you befriend the wrong fucking kind of people, Bella! You'll end up getting you both killed!" I yelled.

Bella flinched away from me, but I was too angry to even care. Her eyes focused on me, flaming with anger. "Esme, would you please take my son out while I have a discussion with Edward?"

Esme didn't even answer; she just quickly moved forward and took the baby, leaving the room like her skirt was on fire.

Once they were out of earshot, Bella let loose and I had to admit that I was a little scared. She stalked towards me with a searing glare so hot and angry I thought I might catch fire. "How dare you!" she said in quiet, harsh tone. "How dare you even…" she paused flexing her hands and I wondered if she was going to hit me again, "Edward, if you even so much as suggest that I'm not fit to be MY son's mother, so help me God, I'll pack up and leave you so fast you'll only see my dust. If you can't grow up and act like man now, I'll get the hell out of your way so you can throw yourself on the floor and have your terrible two-worthy tantrums alone!"

I didn't say anything. I just stepped back because she was making me a little nervous. If Bella went off on me, I would be shit out of luck. There was no way I would do anything to hurt my girl.

"You will go to school, you will get your diploma, and then you will go to college with me. We will get good jobs and we will live happily ever after, whether you like it or not!" she snapped.

I nodded in agreement, but then hedged, "Can Esme watch EJ while you work?"

She let out a breath; she seemed to be calming down. "Fine, but I don't need their money."

"Bella, that's the only money I've got right now."

She sat down, rubbing her face with her hands. "Fine, but I don't want you taking advantage of their kindness. Don't go overboard. He doesn't need Power Wheels or designer clothes. We're fine with what we have."

"How about I just start with diapers and wipes? That's pretty safe, right?" I offered.

She smiled at me and pulled me in to kiss her. I would never leave my girl hanging. She felt so good against my lips. All the tension ran out of my body as I wrapped myself around her, feeling more at home here than anyplace I had ever been in the world.

When I finally released her so she could breathe, she smiled up at me nervously.

"What about therapy?" she asked and I scowled. "Please?" she pouted, batting her doe eyes at me.

"Will you come with me?"

"If that's what you want, then yes."

"It's what I want."

"Okay," she said kissing up my neck and jaw, pushing the scowl off my face.

I hated therapy, but I knew I needed to get better. I knew I still had issues and I needed to get rid of them if I was going to be a good dad. I really wanted to be a good dad.

**Bella**

Whose idea was it to send Edward back to school with a bunch of skanks?

I was so kicking myself.

This was insane.

We had settled into a routine and Edward had gotten back into school. He had asked me to come join him for lunch. Apparently, some skanks would not leave him alone and he wanted to show them he was taken.

I pulled up to the school nervously and unbuckled EJ. Edward was waiting for us outside and hurried over to the car when he saw us pull up. My eyes darted around and I saw several groups of kids watching us.

I felt sick. I didn't know if I could do it, but Dr. Kate thought it would be good for us. I was starting to agree with Edward that she could just go jump off a cliff.

He pulled me into his arms, kissing me softly, cradling EJ between us. I melted into him relaxing.

When he pulled away, I took a deep breath.

"You ready?" he asked.

I nodded yes. I was as ready as I'd ever be.

He took EJ from me, kissing his head.

EJ cooed and squealed in response, he loved his daddy.

Edward wrapped his arm around me and pulled me toward the cafeteria of doom.

"Tyler, could you get us some food please?" he asked the one kid that was sitting at the table he directed me to.

The boy quickly jumped up and ran to the front of the line, grabbing a tray and piling it high with food. I was surprised that no one complained about his cutting.

He brought it back and quickly sat down smiling. "Hey, Bella, it's nice to finally meet you," Tyler said reaching across the table.

I took his hand shaking it.

"Tyler was the other kid your friend, Jake, nabbed. He got him sent back to his mom," Edward explained.

"Oh, well, I'm glad you made it out okay," I offered.

Tyler nodded in agreement, taking a huge bite of food. Then something dawned on him. "Hey, was that your lasagna?" My brow furrowed in confusion. "At the boat place in Florida," he explained.

"Oh, yes, that was mine."

"That shit was fucking awesome. I still dream about it sometimes. It's fucking nuts when my wet dreams are me drooling all over my pillow because I'm smacking your lasagna."

"Tyler, language," Edward chided motioning to his son and Tyler looked sheepish.

I was still giggling from Tyler's love affair with my lasagna. "We'll have to have you come to dinner sometime then. My lasagna is even better with my cheese bread."

"Oh, man, that sounds F…awesome," Tyler said catching himself.

We hadn't been talking long when the skank patrol decided to come around. A fake blonde bitch flicked her hair over her shoulder and bent over to talk to EJ, exposing her breasts as much as possible to Edward, practically shoving them in his face. I wanted to slap the shit out of her.

"Oh, Edward, he's so cute!" she cooed.

Edward moved EJ away from her. "Back off, Lauren, I don't want him to catch anything," he growled at her.

She huffed angrily and took off with the other skanks following. Well, all but one. She looked familiar to me. She stood timidly, looking sadly at EJ. I saw Edward's features soften and my jealously rose tenfold. I was about to put the smack down on the bitch when they shocked me.

"Can I hold him?" she asked softly.

Edward nodded yes and I wanted to scream no. She sat down next to him and I wanted to kick her chair away. He put EJ in her arms and leaned towards her and I wanted to yank him back.

I wanted to, until I saw her face.

She was crying.

Big, sad tears were streaming down her face and I felt like a bitch. Somehow, Edward knew something about this girl that I didn't. She cuddled my baby, nuzzling her face close trying to hide her tears, but she couldn't. She fought her sobs and it seemed like little EJ knew just what she needed and wrapped his little arms around her neck trying to comfort her.

We were all too distracted by the girl to notice Alice approaching.

"Tanya, what the hell are you doing?" Alice snapped at the girl. I saw Edward flinch. I knew Alice had been a bitch to him lately, but he said he wanted to handle it himself.

Tanya glared at Alice and then passed EJ back to Edward. "I was holding my friend's baby!"

"I told you to stay away from them."

"And I told you to kiss my ass. You're being a bitch, Alice; he's your nephew and had absolutely no say in how his parents acted. If you have a problem with them, fine, but don't you dare take it out on that baby or so help me I'll take you down," Tanya growled.

I was beginning to like Tanya.

**A/N: Alice is still throwing a tantrum of her own. She still doesn't like to share her brother. Thanks for reading and please review!**


	42. Chapter 42

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 42 – Welcome home**

**Edward**

Damn, this lunch was turning out to be a pain in the ass.

Alice stormed off in a huff and Tanya sat down and wiped her tears. She smiled over at Bella and it was then I realized my girl was smiling widely at her as well.

"So, Tanya, we were just telling Tyler we should have him over for my lasagna sometime. I would love to have you come, too. I could always use the extra help with EJ when I cook," Bella offered.

Tanya beamed excitedly. "I would love that, Bella."

"You'll love her even more when you taste her lasagna," Tyler added. Tanya looked at him and blushed. I noticed he smiled wider and scooted his chair closer to hers. She smiled back at him shyly and didn't move away. Maybe there was something here worth cultivating. Yeah, I so had to talk to Bella about setting them up.

After Bella's lunch with me, I had hoped that the skanks would back off, but they didn't. You would think me having a baby with my girlfriend would be a deterrent to these girls, but I think they found me even more of a challenge. I found myself ducking and dodging handsy girls left and right these days, much to my annoyance. Luckily, Tanya was on my side and helped to back them off of me whenever she was around. She was becoming a really good friend, and I could tell that Tyler was growing fonder of her by the day given the goofy grin he sported whenever she was around or mentioned.

Alice seemed no closer to coming around. She continued to give me the stink eye anytime I was near her, and she refused to even speak to me. My sister could be a snotty little brat when she wanted to be. Her friendship with Tanya seemed to be suffering as well, and that made me angry. Tanya needed her friends right now and Alice was being selfish and petty. She really needed to wake up and remember back to when she was friendless and being shunned and realize that what she was doing to one of the only people who had reached out to her back then was very wrong.

I loved my sister, but sometimes I really wanted to just kick her bony, stubborn little ass and make her see that she was not only hurting us, but herself as well.

**Bella**

About a month after I moved back to Forks, Edward showed up on my front doorstep with a smile, dangling a key. Apparently, the Cullen's had purchased an investment house and needed someone to rent it out. Rent would only be two hundred dollars a month, or so Edward said, but I had a sneaking suspicion that we weren't really renting it because Edward insisted he give the money to Esme himself. Sneaky boy, thinking he could pull something over on me. He should have known better.

Edward excitedly drove us out to see the house. It was a really pretty, homey four-bedroom colonial and was fully furnished. The outside was brick and the yard was huge and landscaped beautifully, complete with a wooden play-scape that looked brand new in the back yard. The whole place looked professionally done. The neighborhood was well-established and was quiet and looked to be very family-oriented.

When we first walked inside the house, I fell in love. The paint and hardwood floors looked newly redone, and I was amazed that someone would leave such beautiful new furnishings behind. That was until I went up to EJ's room. Yeah, it had his name spelled out on the wall and my largest belly cast hanging under it.

"Edward," I growled.

"What? It's just a coincidence that the last kid had the same name as our son."

I rolled my eyes; surely he could do better than that. "Really? That's what you're going with?"

"Would you believe Esme's an obsessive-compulsive decorator? If she sees something that needs decorating, she just can't help herself. I mean have you seen my room? Do you really think it was me that picked out the throw pillows on my couch? Hell, why do I even have a couch in my room? What's that for, anyway, when I have a desk chair and a bed to sit on? It's really just a waste of space. What if I wanted to take up break dancing?"

I suddenly burst out laughing. "Break dancing?"

He shrugged at me. "I got moves."

I shoved him and told him to shut up before I pissed myself from laughing so hard. He was smiling his perfect smile. I loved seeing him happy.

"Just take the house, baby. They really want to do this for us."

I knew that Edward didn't really see them as his parents, but they definitely saw him as their son and EJ as their grandbaby. They doted on him as if he were their own flesh and blood, which I found totally endearing. I was so thankful that we had them in our lives, but I was not the type of person to just take advantage of others, so I needed to make that clear.

"Just to rent?" I asked.

Edward shifted nervously then nodded his head yes.

"You're lying, aren't you?" Somehow, I knew my boy was full of it.

"They gave us the house, baby, but if you really want to pay them rent, I'm sure they wouldn't have a problem with it. They know you're stubborn, I mean independent," he quickly corrected himself, looking like he was prepared to duck in case I started swinging.

Smart boy. He was lucky I had eaten and wasn't feeling particularly bitchy or he would have just been slapped. I considered doing it anyway, just for good measure. Boy needed to learn some discipline.

"Two hundred dollars it is then," I conceded narrowing my eyes at him. If he wanted stubborn, I would show him stubborn.

"You know they'll just put it into a college fund for EJ, right?" he grinned and I just groaned, shaking my head and palming my face. What was I going to do with these people? He wrapped his arms around me, nuzzling into my neck. "Hey, baby?"

"Hmm?" I responded getting lost in his touch.

"You mind if I move in with you?" he whispered nibbling my ear, making my girly bits come alive as I ground my hips into his.

"Only if you're my sex slave," I teased. Hmm, maybe I wasn't teasing after all. The idea of my boy in a black leather harness and handcuffs had me panting and rubbing myself harder against him.

He nipped my neck and grabbed my ass, grinding into me. "Definitely, Mistress," he growled nipping down to the top of my breast. Oh, yeah, I liked the sound of that.

"Then welcome home," I whispered just as he kissed his way back up to my lips.

When he pulled away, he was grinning mischievously. "Thanks, because all my stuff is already here."

I swatted his ass hard, making him jump and laugh before dragging me into our new bedroom and stripping me down, eager to test out our new bed.

He was such a brat.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	43. Chapter 43

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 43 – Domestic Mess**

**Edward**

Living with Bella was exhausting. I never realized how much work a baby was until she woke me up while getting up herself for the third time in the same night to feed and change him. I dozed back off, but would wake up again as she came back to bed. She was so tired the next morning as she moved through the kitchen, getting us breakfast as I held our son so she could work faster.

We were both frequently late. It was a good thing she worked for her dad or she would probably have been fired a long time ago. My first period teacher didn't even bother sending me to the office anymore for a late slip. She knew to just mark me present and tardy.

Of course, Bella had herself all put together before she left for work. She looked amazing as she walked out the door, as if she was perfectly fine and not completely exhausted.

We would take EJ to Esme, who would cuddle him greedily and Bella would put a bottle she had pumped for him in the refrigerator for later. Esme would make lunch and bring him down to the police station for Bella because she would need to feed him or she would burst. Her words, not mine. I had to admit, her boobs would get pretty huge when they were full.

It was awesome.

I meant it looked painful.

Right, that was what I meant.

Yeah, I tried not to stare at them too much or adjust myself too obviously in front of her, but her boobs were fuck-awesome. What could I say, my Bella was hot.

I thought it was sweet of her to invite Tyler and Tanya over for dinner sometime. I knew she was usually exhausted in the evenings and I wished I could do more for her. When I did try and help, though, she usually got upset. Apparently, you were supposed to separate clothing by color and not dry some things, which was just stupid. How were they supposed to get dry then? However, I may or may not have shrunk her miniskirt on purpose so she wouldn't wear it in public anymore. In private, though, damn, she looked hot in it. Yeah, my girl was still sex on heels.

I finally got her to let me load the dishwasher. It took three instructional sessions of her explaining the importance of angling the dishes toward the jet streams for her to finally allow me to do the dishes on my own. I could have bitched about it, but I could see down her shirt when she bent over the dishwasher so I didn't care. Did I mention she let me take her on the kitchen island once the dishwasher was loaded?

Yeah, I definitely liked doing the dishes.

She eventually let me run the laundry if it was presorted, but I was not allowed to put anything in the dryer anymore. I was allowed to take the clothes out of the dryer and put them away, though. I was always rewarded for doing this without being asked. Hey, positive reinforcement Bella-style worked on me like a charm. She found me hanging up clothes in our closet and I found out that the bars in there were strong enough to hold her while I was pounding into her. God, I loved living with her and taking her whenever I wanted to. It was even better when she took me whenever she wanted to. Did I mention that Bella was the sexiest creature on the planet?

We finally got around to having Tyler and Tanya over for dinner. Well, she invited them to come over around three o'clock so Tanya could help her cook. I suggested Tyler give Tanya a ride and he jumped at it. They were so going to hook up, we just knew it.

They arrived a little early that Saturday and Tanya immediately took EJ from me, snuggling him close. Tyler just smiled at her like an idiot. Yeah, the fool had it bad.

"Bella's in the kitchen," I told Tanya pointing the direction she should go.

Tyler watched her retreating form, or should I say ass.

I just laughed at him.

"What, man? She's hot and sweet. She's going to be a great mom someday."

I raised an eyebrow at him shocked. "Really, are you planning on having her raise your kids?" His eyes darted to the kitchen and he shrugged, but he couldn't hide his grin.

"Well, then you better ask her out on a date first, man," I said leading him back to where I was working on homework in the living room.

"You're not done with your history report yet?" he asked taking in my books lying out on the coffee table.

I just shook my head no. "It's hard to find time to do my homework; between school and my family, it gets a little crazy."

"Well, if you ever need to, you know, just chill..."

"I'm staying far away from your shit, dude," I glared at him. "I've got a family now. I don't want that shit or those kind of people anywhere near us."

"No, man, I don't mess with that shit anymore, either. I learned my lesson, too. I meant..." he paused then leaned closer and glanced toward the door Tanya had disappeared through. "I mean if you need someone to watch your baby, you know, babysit or something so you can work, I'll bet Tanya would go for that shit. Of course, I would need to come help her with EJ. Would that be cool?"

"You want to use my kid to pick up Tanya?"

He just shrugged and grinned. Well, at least he was being honest.

"Sure, man. I'll talk to Bella about it. I'm sure she would be cool with that. We could both use a break."

Bella and Tanya seemed to be getting along really well, and I was pretty sure Tyler was going to build a shrine to my woman and worship her lasagna-making skills. Add to that the fact that she was teaching Tanya how to make her lasagna and it just made Tyler love her even more. I was pretty sure he was going to see if his mother would be willing to adopt her. I would have been jealous, but I could see that his eyes always landed back on Tanya. She had him wrapped around her finger and she didn't even know it.

Things with Dr. Kate had been going good. It was because of her that Bella started letting me help around the house more and she gave me more responsibility. I, in turn, was learning not to get angry. I usually found that when I would get upset, it was my fault for not voicing what I wanted and so most often if I just told Bella what I wanted and why, she would give it to me. We were actually learning to communicate. What a concept.

Alice, on the other hand, was still being a pain in the ass. I knew Tanya was working on her for me and I would try and talk to her, but she was hurt that I had taken off on her and didn't tell her where I was. I tried to explain that it wasn't safe to contact her at the time, but she wasn't having it.

Emmett seemed to understand, though, and EJ was just too damn cute not to melt Rosalie's heart of ice. Since my girl wasn't too dysfunctional and neither was Rose, they quickly worked out their differences, apologizing profusely and telling each other that they loved each other. I really wished I could do that with Alice.

Jasper was trying to work on her, too, but he explained to me that she'd had a bad breakdown after I left. He ended up coming down from Seattle to stay with her for a couple of weeks, trying to help her get over it. He was mad that I had done that to his girl. I was glad he was there for her and was protective of her. I knew she wouldn't be alone, that was the only reason I was able to leave. I had originally planned on finding Bella, apologizing my ass off, and hoping she would take me back. I had just gone to find Tyler to see if he wanted to come along for fun and to help me keep my cool, but things had gone so wrong so fast it was insane.

I was glad that was all behind us now.

I had a great future to look forward to with my Bella and EJ. I knew as long as I had them, I would be happy.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	44. Chapter 44

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 44 – Aunty Venom**

**Edward**

It was Christmas. Okay, it wasn't even December yet, but I was excited for Christmas to come. Thanksgiving had started out rough, but it turned out great in the end and I couldn't wait for another awesome holiday. It had been so long since I'd had a good one so Thanksgiving was a pleasant surprise. I couldn't wait to celebrate EJ's first Christmas.

Thanksgiving had taken place at the Cullen's. Emmett usually lightened the mood, but he had gone to Rose's to meet her parents. With as close as they were getting, I figured it wouldn't be long now before they announced their engagement. He was such a lucky fucker.

Jasper came for dinner, along with Charlie. Bella helped Esme cook. Bella and Esme seemed to be getting very close. Carlisle and I stood back, taking care of EJ. Alice, on the other hand, stood in the corner scowling while Jasper looked defeated. I wanted to wring Alice's neck for the way she was acting. Bella had never done anything to her so she needed a serious attitude adjustment where my girl and our relationship were concerned.

Bella stopped to take care of EJ because he was hungry. The look my sister gave my girl as she passed her just pissed me off.

"That's it! That's fucking it, Alice! I've had enough of your shit. You need to get over yourself!"

She looked at me shocked.

"I will not have you looking at my girl that way. I'll not have you treating my family like shit. If you've got a problem with me, fine, but it stays with ME!"

Alice's face flared red, and she looked like she was going to explode. Jasper had his hand on her shoulder trying to calm her, but it was too late, she was going to blow.

"SHE DID THAT ON PURPOSE!"

I looked at her confused "What the hell are you talking about?"

"She got pregnant so she could take you away from me!"

"It was an accident, Alice! She didn't even know she was fucking pregnant until she was five months along!"

"And you believe her?"

"Yes! She was on the pill, Alice! We'd even discussed waiting because she'd been on antibiotics in the hospital so we had to wait until it was effective again, or so we thought. They gave her medicine to take at home, but she didn't know Augmentin was an antibiotic. She thought it was another steroid to help her breathe. It was an accident, one we don't regret, but still an accident! She didn't take me from you. You pushed me away!"

Alice seemed to be losing steam. "But you love her more than me."

I grabbed my feisty little sister and hugged her tightly. "I don't, Alice, I just love her differently. I love her like you love Jasper. I love you like you love me. I still love you the same, Ali, I swear."

"You're all I have left, brother," she whimpered.

I squeezed tighter. "You're seeing it all wrong, Alice. I'm not all you have left. You've got Jasper, Emmett, Carlisle, and Esme, and I know for a fact that Bella loves you and is hurt that you're not talking to her or being EJ's Aunty Alice."

"Really?" she looked up at me with her sad eyes.

"Really, you're our baby's aunt, how could she not love you?"

"I'm so sorry, Edward, really, I'm so very sorry," she said sobbing into my chest and I was relieved that this was all finally out. I was ready for this mess to be over with.

Bella came walking in holding EJ and she saw me holding a crying Alice and smiled at me. I pulled her over and squeezed them all into my arms together.

"I swear it was an accident, Alice," Bella spoke softly. She must have heard the whole conversation with the way we were shouting. "I thought I was just getting fat from eating cookies."

That I didn't know and I started laughing.

Bella scowled playfully at me. "Oh, you just shut up. I was depressed and baking a lot. It was perfectly reasonable for me to think the few pounds I gained were the cookies."

Everyone started laughing at her and she rolled her eyes at me. I took EJ from her. "Give me my cookie," I growled and attacked his belly. "Omnomnomnom. You're right, Bella, it was the cookies, he tastes so good," I said tickling my baby boy with my whiskers. He squealed and kicked for me, laughing excitedly.

Then he spit up on me and Bella said he was just giving me some milk to go with my cookies.

Little stinker.

I wasn't sure how Charlie was adjusting to the news that his daughter had had a baby. Bella didn't talk much to me about it and, well, he didn't talk to me at all. I was just glad he wasn't trying to shoot me.

When he arrived for dinner, he seemed to be nervous. He looked around the Cullen's home and greeted Carlisle, who offered him a drink which he readily took. Bella had told me Charlie wasn't much of a talker, but from the looks of things, he was a fucking mute. When people talked to him, he usually nodded or shrugged in answer. When Jasper said the food was good, Charlie smiled and nodded in agreement, still not speaking.

I did notice that his eyes frequently landed on little EJ sitting in Bella's lap. He had sort of a sad, wistful smile on his face so I figured that he probably just missed having them living with him.

"So, Edward and I are both going to register for school next fall at UW," Bella said smiling at her dad. His smile widened with approval I guessed. "Edward hasn't decided his major yet, but I only have a year and one semester left until I have my English degree," Bella went on.

Charlie put his hand on her shoulder and smiled. I was guessing that was an 'I'm proud of you' in Charlie talk.

"We'll be close so we can still come for holidays and weekends and stuff. We'll be here for a few more years since Edward will be going to school. You'll have to take little EJ fishing in the summers."

He reached out for my son and took him, cuddling him close. He whispered something into EJ's ear and EJ smiled which was just freaky because my boy was only six months old and I doubted he understood a thing Charlie said.

I watched as Charlie interacted with EJ, enthralled by what I was seeing. It was so amazing to see so much love coming from him. I had never known my father and to see how a father should love was just amazing. I didn't know Charlie well, but I knew I wanted my son to know him. I wanted him to know his grandfather's love. I would have given anything to have had that growing up.

That night as I was driving us home, I asked Bella if she knew what Charlie had said.

She smiled wistfully and said, "Come with me and I'll teach you to catch rainbows," she giggled a little, obviously lost in a happy memory. I could tell by the smile on her face that she had gotten to make many happy memories with her father.

I wanted lots of those for my boy, too.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	45. Chapter 45

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 45 – Christmas**

**Bella**

School sucked.

Okay, I wasn't even in school right now, but I really hated how much time Edward had to spend at school and then on his homework. I was used to only a couple of hours a few times a week and then maybe a few study groups for an hour here or there, but Edward was in school eight freaking hours a day and then did his homework on top of that for another three at least. It was freaking insane!

I did my best to take care of him and help him, but he started insisting on helping around the house more. I wasn't his mother he insisted and he wanted to help take care of EJ. "I'm his Dad, Bella, let me act like it," he said in our therapy session. He was right. I had to stop seeing him as a kid and start seeing him as EJ's father.

Edward started helping with the housework and had gotten really good at the dishes after I explained to him over and over about the proper way to load the dishwasher. I was not stupid. I knew he wasn't listening because the instructions weren't written across my breasts. If they had been, I think I would have noticed.

He didn't think I saw him ogling my chest, but I did. I also noticed him slipping his hand into his pocket to shift things around. Yes, my boy was a horny eighteen year old and I took full advantage of that.

Christmas break was coming up and since the crime business was slow in Forks, my dad decided to give me the same two weeks off that Edward had.

The first day of our break, I didn't get up. I snuggled into my boy's chest, nipping at his skin. I didn't have to do much to entice him. He had me pinned on my back and moaning his name seconds later.

Of course, we didn't get too far before we heard the baby start crying over the baby monitor.

"Just leave him, please, just for a few more seconds, you know he's fine," he begged.

What he didn't realize was that a crying baby was the cue for my milk to let down and boy, did it let down. Or should I say shoot up because it nailed him right in the face.

He pouted at me but then he attacked my breasts with his mouth, licking up the leaking milk.

"Edward, stop stealing the baby's breakfast," I chided.

He finally started letting me up, but not before he nipped my thigh. "Fine, but he can't have my dessert."

We really needed to get a sitter so we could have some alone time.

When I finally got the baby fed, changed, and settled for his morning nap, I found Edward doing some reading for his English class.

He looked so handsome stretched out on the couch with his furrowed brow, focused on his book. I wanted him bad.

He must have felt the electric charge my body was sending out to him because I had only taken two steps into the room when he jumped over the coffee table and pinned me to the wall. He grabbed my hips, yanking down my pajama bottoms and thrust into me roughly. My legs were wrapped tightly around him as I kissed him, pouring every ounce of need into him with my lips. He fucked me fast and roughly, but it was good, very good.

When he was done, he didn't put me down. He headed for our bedroom. "I'm not done with you yet," he growled making my body clench around him. I loved the way he made me feel. My boy was perfect in the bedroom.

Yup, there was something to be said about younger men.

**Edward**

Christmas break! I had never been so excited to leave school in my life and that was really saying something. My girl had it off with me and I wanted to spend it making love to her and playing with my son.

Alice had been sitting with me at lunch again, joining Tanya and Tyler, who were definitely a thing now. I was kind of glad Alice was there to talk to now because Tyler was useless since his tongue was always stuck in Tanya's mouth.

Alice was having a hard time understanding Bella's aversion to shopping. She tried several times to take her out Christmas shopping, but Bella insisted she would be doing all of hers on-line. My girl did not like shopping centers, especially crowded ones.

I, on the other hand, wanted to get something special for my girl and my son. I was so excited for Christmas morning to come. I had to admit I might have gone a little overboard buying presents for EJ, but it was his first Christmas! I had never been so excited for Christmas to come, ever!

Alice and Esme came over and helped us put Christmas lights and decorations on the outside of the house. It was so cool to stand back and light them up. I couldn't help but feel giddy. I might have even squealed like a little girl once or twice, but I would never admit to it.

EJ was mesmerized by the flashing lights and Bella, well, she just looked so damn beautiful. I didn't think my life could be any more perfect.

Alice and Esme took EJ for us so we could have some time to wrap his presents. Yeah, totally didn't happen. The only thing that was wrapped was my girl wrapped around me. I figured we could wrap them during his naptime.

Alice stayed in the study/guestroom on Christmas Eve. I was her first family and I understood why she wanted to spend it with us.

Bella put the baby to bed and had me sneak out to the coat closet where the presents were hidden and stick them under the tree. I smiled giddily as I arranged the load of presents I had bought for my son.

Alice heard me moving around, her eyes lighting up when she saw the piles of gifts I was setting out. "Oh, Edward, you have to help me bring in mine, too," she giggled.

Yeah, if I thought I had bought my son a lot, I was sadly mistaken. Alice bought a fucking mountain. I thought of stacking them all outside and perching the tree on the very top so I could hike up it. Once we squeezed the last gift into my living room, she hugged me tightly.

"I'm so excited, Edward. I don't know if I can sleep."

"I know what you mean. I could care less what I get. I just want to see Bella and EJ's faces when they open the stuff I picked out."

"I know; I hope she likes my present," Alice said nervously.

"I'm sure she'll love it and I know you'll love what she got you."

"She got me something?" her eyes lit up.

"Yes, and you'll love it because my Bella is all sentimental and shit. Just be sure to have tissues when you open it."

Alice nudged me playfully and wrapped her arm around me. "So, you really think she likes me even after I was so mean to her?"

"Oh, Ali, my girl never holds grudges. Look at the shit I've put her through. She should have had me shot, and believe me, she knew some people who could do it, but she didn't. My girl loves me and she loves you, too, baby sister."

She sniffled a little. "You know I really like her. I thought she was so good for you, and then she was gone and now you have a baby. I was just so scared that she would disappear again and take you with her."

"Oh, Ali, I'm so sorry. She never disappeared. I knew where she was. She was just waiting for me to be ready for her. It wasn't her choice to leave. She was just trying to help me."

"Well, tell her not to help you like that again because you were miserable."

I let out a laugh. "I have a feeling she was just as miserable."

Alice smiled up at me. "I think she was, too." She pulled a little box out of her pocket. The velvet on it was worn mostly bald, making the black box look gray.

"I have this, it's your Christmas present, but I thought maybe you might want it now, just in case you want to give it to Bella as hers."

I looked at the box confused. She popped it open smiling at me, revealing a set of wedding rings. The diamond was set in a rose setting on the engagement ring. There was another band with it.

"They were Mom's. She gave them to me for safe keeping when she was still alive. I thought if you wanted, you could maybe ask Bella to marry you and use Mom's ring to make it special."

I fought back tears as I hugged Alice to me tightly. I knew she couldn't breathe, but I just loved her so much at that moment I couldn't let her go. "Thank you."

I looked at the rings after Bella fell asleep. I pulled out the plain wedding band and smiled. My mother wore it her whole life up until she got sick. I was about to push it on my pinky when I realized there was something engraved inside of it.

I pulled it off and took it into the bathroom so I could look at it in the light.

'_**Elizabeth forever holds Edward's heart in her hands'**_

I read the inscription over and over. I didn't know I was named after my father. My mother never spoke of him. I had seen her play with her rings several times, probably thinking of him, but she never spoke a word about him and I wondered who he was and what he was like.

From what I could gather, my parents were separated before I was born. My father didn't know about Alice and me. I wondered if that would have changed things. I wondered if he was still alive or if he had died and that was why he never came back to my mom.

I was startled out of my thoughts by the bathroom door opening. I jumped, dropping the band, but I was able to shove the box with the diamond ring back into my pocket.

"What are you still doing up, sweetie?" Bella asked and then her eyes found the gold band on the ground.

"It was my mother's," I answered hastily before she could ask. "Alice gave it to me for Christmas, she couldn't wait until morning."

She picked it up, examining it. "Your mother's name was Elizabeth?"

I nodded my head yes. "I didn't know I was named after my dad," I added.

Her eyes found mine; they were full of an emotion I couldn't identify. "Do you know what happened to your dad?" I shook my head no and she frowned, "Would you like to know?"

I looked at a stuffed toy on our bedroom floor that had been dropped by EJ. I never cared to know my father, but now that I was one, I was curious. "He doesn't know about us."

I didn't even know if we would be able to convince him we were his kids if we did find him.

"Well, don't you think it's about time he did?" she asked.

I took the ring from her hand and pushed it down on my pinky. "Yeah, I think it is."

**A/N: Okay, my little birdies, that's all for now. I'll give you some more worms in the morning. =) Thanks for reading and please review!**


	46. Chapter 46

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and my kids belong to me. Of course, that doesn't mean I claim their rowdy butts in public.**

**Chapter 46 – Needle in a Haystack**

**Bella**

To say Edward and Alice had gone overboard on the Christmas presents would have been an understatement. We couldn't even get into the living room! We started unwrapping in the hallway and worked our way in.

EJ kept trying to eat the wrapping paper and had no interest in any of the toys Edward had bought him. I was pretty sure he cleaned out the baby to preschool section of the toy store. Honestly, I didn't know where he planned on putting all of these, especially since we planned on moving to a smaller apartment in a few months. Maybe I could hide some of these and give them to EJ for his birthday.

We did eventually make it over to the tree, literally swimming through wrapping paper.

Alice had taken it upon herself to buy us all knew wardrobes. I had to admit she did really good picking out clothes that I would actually wear.

I was nervous about giving her my gift. Edward insisted that she would love it, but I wasn't so sure. I handing her the box and waited nervously. Edward winked at me and pushed a tissue box over by Alice who let out a chuckle. I had a feeling I was missing something there.

She opened it and sat stunned, staring at it. I looked to Edward, unsure of what she thought of it.

Then she sniffled and took a tissue from Edward who was grinning. She whacked him and told him to just shut up and then held her arms out to me to hug her. I quickly grabbing her, pulling her tight, relieve by her acceptance.

When she released me, I pulled out my matching necklace. "I have one, too," I said holding up the silver heart. It was engraved with the words _**Alice & Bella…sisters forever**_.

"It's beautiful," she choked out as Edward helped her put her necklace on, "Thank you."

**Edward**

Bella passed me a shirt box and I wondered what was inside. I pulled out a shirt and started laughing hard. Alice was giggling, saying she couldn't wait for me to wear it to school and was picking out the over shirt to go with it.

It said, _**'Don't bug me or I'll have my mini me spit up on you.'**_ It had a picture of little EJ over the caption scowling.

I was about to set the box aside when she stopped me. "You missed something."

I looked back in the box and found a leather strap. I pulled it out examining it, running my fingers over the crest attached to it.

"I looked up the Masen family crest on-line."

I just nodded silently, touching the silver crest. At the top, my name was engraved, and on the bottom left tip of the shield, EJ's name was engraved. She pulled an envelope out from behind her, handing it to me nervously. I opened the papers, staring at them dumbly.

"I had his last name changed."

I launched myself at her, hugging her tightly to me, kissing her repeatedly. She could not have come up with a better gift.

The only thing that would have made it better was if her name was engraved next to mine, but she wasn't a Masen yet. I planned on fixing that soon.

I pulled out the box with her gift from my pocket. I hadn't left it under the tree because I was afraid that it would get lost in the mess.

Bella took it from my hands smiling.

I was suddenly extremely nervous.

She opened the box and pulled out the silver baby booty charm. It had EJ's birthstone on it with his initials.

She lifted her wrist with tears in her eyes. "It's perfect, Edward."

I took her wrist and helped her attach the new charm. I was silently hoping someday I could give her more like this, but I wouldn't tell her that just yet.

**Bella**

Christmas break had been perfect, though somehow Alice ended up moving into the spare bedroom. I would have complained except she was a morning person and always had coffee and breakfast ready along with EJ dressed and ready for the day.

It made mine and Edward's mornings much easier. Not to mention the weekend was much more pleasant when we could hear her getting EJ first thing so I could get Edward.

She had taken it upon herself to be our live-in nanny/housekeeper/chef and the way we were working ourselves into the ground, I was really glad for her help. That and somehow she always knew when to concede to me. I didn't know how, but she just did. It was like she could see how I would react and would back down before the fight even started.

Since her and Edward had all their classes together again, she was able to help him study and get through his homework faster, giving him more time to spend with me and EJ.

In a sense, Alice had worked her way into our lives, making herself fit beautifully. I kind of hoped that she would come with us to school. I knew Edward would rather have his sister living with us than Jasper.

His first instinct was still to protect her virtue, but I had a feeling that it was no longer intact by the way Jasper would kiss her when he came to visit on the weekends. Edward made him sleep on the couch, but I caught him sneaking into Alice's room when Edward wasn't watching. I just winked at him playfully and kept my mouth shut. I knew Jasper was stupid in love with Alice. She was his forever, just like Edward was mine.

Edward had said he wanted to find his father, but he had been so distracted by life that he hadn't brought it up again. It did not escape my notice that he wore his mother's wedding band on his pinky, though. His parents were still on his mind, so by default, they were on mine. Luckily for him, I worked in a police station, which was just the place to go if you were looking for someone.

I was going over the records I had found on Elizabeth Masen. It was just her death and wedding certificates. I wasn't surprised to find her record clean. My dad came up, looking over my shoulder, his way of asking if I'd had any luck.

"I didn't find anything," I said holding the certificates up.

He smiled at me and then pointed to the bottom corner of the marriage certificate. There was the address of where they had resided when they were wed. My dad was smiling so huge because the address was a military base.

"They would have records on him!" I squealed.

My dad nodded and surprised me by pulling up a military search engine. I had narrowed it down to three Edward A Masen's by late that afternoon.

I was nervous and excited, and I wasn't sure if I should tell Edward. In the end, I decided to find the right one and verify that he was still alive before I approached Edward.

I didn't want to get his hopes up only to have him be disappointed.

**Edward**

Bella was acting weird. It was like she was excited and on edge at the same time. She looked like she would explode more than once, but then she would quickly start rambling on about the laundry or dishes, which was just her way of trying to distract herself.

Alice was allowed to dry the clothes. Apparently, Alice knew how to treat clothing. Yeah, they were both nuts. If it smelled clean, you wore it. If it didn't, you washed it; that was how you treated clothing.

Bella was off getting EJ ready for bed while Alice and I studied. As soon as Bella was out of earshot, Alice attacked.

"What are you doing for Valentine's Day?" I looked at her confused. "It's less than a month away, Edward. You have to do something!"

My mind wandered to last Valentine's Day and I couldn't help but smile. That was nice.

"Hey!" Alice said punching my shoulder hard, "Stop that. So, what are you doing? Where are you taking her?"

"I don't know; we have EJ now. I guess I'll have to get a sitter."

Alice rolled her eyes at me. "Jasper's coming here for Valentine's Day. I'm sure between us, Esme, and Charlie we can have you covered for the weekend."

"You think?"

"No, I know. I already talked to everyone."

Alice was the best sister in the world.

"So, where are you taking her?" I shrugged. She smiled then leaned in. "Wait a couple of days; Charlie said she was on to something, you guys could go there."

I looked at her, trying to understand her cryptic message. "What?"

Alice just giggled. "You'll see."

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	47. Chapter 47

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 47 – Family Ties**

**Edward**

The next day, Bella came home from work looking the exact opposite of what she had the day before. She was pouting and her whole body sagged.

I pulled her into my lap and snuggled with her on the couch. "Bad day?" I asked.

She frowned. "I'm sorry, Edward."

"Sorry for what?"

"I couldn't find him. I was so close."

"What? What are you talking about?" My girl was so confusing sometimes.

She grabbed my hand and held up my pinky, showing me my mother's ring. Then it clicked.

"You were looking for my dad?"

She nodded yes. "I had it down to three Edward A. Masen's yesterday, but today I hit a dead end."

"Well, what have got so far, baby?"

"Unfortunately, not enough. When I told the guy in records who I was looking for and gave him the three possible ID numbers, he said he couldn't give me any information. I begged and pleaded and then asked if I could give him information."

I nodded, hanging on her every word anxiously.

"I gave the records guy his marriage date and the name of his wife and their address, and the guy was able to confirm that one of the three men was him. Then I told him I was trying to find him for his son and the guy told me there were no children registered. I told him I knew that, that he didn't know his wife had had twins because they were separated at the time, but they had never divorced."

This was news to me, but that explained why my mother never remarried or even dated.

"The man was reluctant, but he finally informed me that they had lost track of your father not long after he was honorably discharged. They had a few records of him being in and out of a mental health facility, but the records stopped about eight years ago. I'm sorry."

"Which one?"

"What?"

"Which mental health facility, Bella? Where was he last seen?"

"Texas, they have a few VA hospitals in the Houston area. That was where he was last treated."

I wanted to go to Houston, just to see if anyone had seen him. Just because he hadn't checked in didn't mean he wasn't visiting friends or something, right?

"Can we go?" I asked afraid she would say no.

She looked at me with worried, tear-filled eyes. "Yes, but I'm worried you're going to be disappointed with what we find."

"Well, at least we'll have tried," I answered.

I quickly booked flights and a hotel for our stay. We would be going on Valentine's Day, just as Alice predicted.

It was cool in Houston, but not nearly as cold as Forks. I wore a light hoodie and cap. As I we drove towards the first hospital on my list, I noticed several veterans sitting under the freeway holding signs. What if one of them was my dad? How would I know? I was glad the weather was warm and hoped wherever he was, he was safe.

I could have been angry at him, but I knew my mother loved him for a reason. He had to have been a good man at some point, and the fact that he was in the military made me proud. The fact that he was in and out of mental health facilities opened my eyes a little as to why my parents were not together, though. I didn't know why he had stopped going to them eight years ago. I would have been ten then and that was about the time my mother first started getting noticeably sick.

We had moved around a lot as she tried out different treatments, trying to get better. It would have been nearly impossible for him to find us even if he tried. Then she was gone and Alice and I were shipped off.

We had just taken a few steps into the facility when an old man shouted my name. "Edward! By god, Sergeant Masen, you look good! What do they have you on?"

I realized when he called me Sergeant Masen that he thought I was my dad. I couldn't stop the excitement from bubbling inside me.

I ran forward to him, taking off my cap. "You know my dad?"

He looked at me confused for a moment, taking in the color of my hair and my eyes. I had gotten both from my mother, but I had gotten the rest from the stranger that was my father.

"Your dad?" The old man looked back, glancing at Bella as if he was trying to figure something out.

"Sergeant Edward Anthony Masen," Bella stated. "We're looking for him; do you know where he is?"

The man frowned. "No, I'm sorry. Last I heard he was helping out at Saint Joseph's church. He hasn't been in here for a few months."

"Thank you," I said eagerly shaking his hand. I couldn't believe what luck we'd had.

By late that afternoon, my excitement had faded. We had tracked my father through eight volunteer positions. He never stayed in any place long, but he was never fully forgotten, either. Everyone seemed to recognize me, staring at me confused when they realized I was not him. Bella made sure all of the facilities we visited had our cell numbers and hotel number just in case they came across him.

My sweet Bella dressed for bed and collapsed next to me, snuggling into my side. "This is not what I had planned for Valentine's Day," I murmured into her hair.

She kissed my chin. "What did you want to do for Valentine's Day?"

My eyes drifted to my carry-on bag sitting by the bed. I had planned on proposing. I had hoped we could get married before we started at UW that fall.

Her eyes followed my line of sight. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing, it's just something I have for you, but the time is not right yet."

She pouted. "When will it be right?"

I shrugged. I really didn't know. I wanted it to be right, right now.

"What makes you think the time isn't right?" she asked.

"I don't know; you're tired and I want to hold you."

She leaned up and kissed my lips softly. "We'll find him."

I pulled her down to me, kissing her again and hugging her to me tightly. "I love you," I whispered, not sure if she heard it.

"And I love you, forever," she answered.

Then suddenly it clicked in my head. Now was perfect. The quiet moment of me just holding her, feeling her love and her feeling mine; it didn't get any more perfect than this. The comfort we gave each other, that was what it was all about. Sex was fun, exciting, and romantic, but now this, just holding her in my arms, this felt perfect. This was what I thought about when I thought of having her forever.

I kissed her lips softly and went to grab my bag. She pouted as I climbed out of bed, but she smiled when she saw where I was heading.

"I changed my mind," I said crawling back into bed with my little gray worn box. She welcomed me back to bed with open arms, snuggling back into my side. I held her tight for a moment and finally spoke. "This is perfect. I realized that just now as I was holding you and feeling how right you are with me. How good you make me feel, even after a frustrating day. I want that, Bella, forever."

I put the little box in her hand.

She looked at it and her eyes began to water.

"It was my mother's, I hope you like it. Isabella Marie Swan, will you marry me?"

She had yet to open the box. She just threw her arms around my neck, sobbing and kissing me. "Yes," she whispered and I thought for a moment I could fly because I felt so high on my Bella right at that moment.

She was perfect, she was my heaven.

**A/N: Hooray! They're finally engaged, now they just have to find his dad, get married, graduate, have a bunch of kids, and live happily ever after! Wow, that's a mouthful. Thanks for reading and please review!**


	48. Chapter 48

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 48 – Found the needle**

**Bella**

I was engaged. I was engaged! I WAS ENGAGED!

I wanted to open up our hotel window and scream it to the world, but unfortunately, the windows didn't open.

Edward wrapped his arms around me, kissing my neck softly. "So, are you going to put the ring on or would you like a different one?"

"What? No, never," I answered then realized that didn't sound good. I grabbed the little box greedily from his hand. "I never want to wear another ring," I said causing the furrow in his brow to disappear. What he didn't know was that I had seen his mother's ring. He'd had it stashed in the bathroom. I knew Alice had given it to him for Christmas. He wore the wedding band constantly, so I didn't think anything of him having it.

The ring was so beautiful, and when he pulled it out the box offering it to me, I knew that I would never refuse it. Not that I could ever refuse Edward anything.

He slipped the ring on my finger and it fit perfectly. It made him smile widely. I knew he was happy that his mother's ring fit. I leaned up, kissing his lips softly. "I love you," I whispered.

"I love you more," he answered back smiling against my lips. I loved the feel of him against me. I loved being with him, near him. I just loved him.

Room service came and we broke apart for breakfast. We quickly mapped out the fastest way to our next destination while we ate. The church we were looking for was much further north in Houston. I really hoped we were getting closer to his father for Edward's sake.

As we drove to the church, we noticed that there were several people sitting under an overpass trying to stay out of the light drizzling rain as we turned into the church driveway. It was set back behind some trees. After we had pulled into the parking lot, we sat silently, trying to figure out what to do next. The place was deserted.

There was a posting for a bible study group later that evening and times were posted for Sunday services, but there was no one around and our flight home was schedule for that evening.

We drove around the building, just to check to see if there was a janitor or someone, anyone, who could give us a number where we could check to see if Sergeant Masen had been here and find out where he might have gone. Unfortunately, we couldn't find anyone.

The stress and disappointment of hitting another dead end was more than Edward could take. He punched the steering wheel, making me jump. He got out of the car, slamming the door and started kicking the tire repeatedly. He punched the hood of the car, making me flinch, and then he ran toward the tree line where he ripped a small tree out of the ground and started beating a larger tree with it. He was so angry and frustrated that he had become out of control. I knew to just stay back and let him get it out. I sat silently crying, watching Edward lose it in the distance. This was exactly what I had been afraid would happen.

There was a knock on the window, causing me to jump again. A gray-bearded man who looked like he might have been one of the homeless people that had been hiding under the bridge was standing there.

"You okay, Ma'am?" he asked with real concern.

I looked back over to where Edward was beating the tree and wiped another tear before I nodded yes.

"Is there something I could help you with?" he asked and all I could think of was how I should be helping him.

His kind eyes let me know he was not a threat. He stepped back when he realized I was getting out of the car. I knew now why he came to check on me. Edward's swearing echoed through the lot along with the pounding.

"Is he going to be alright, Ma'am?" he asked pointing to Edward.

I nodded my head yes. "We're looking for his father. We can't find him."

"What makes you think he would be here?"

"He had volunteered here not too long ago. We've been following his trail through several churches. He never stays in one place very long. He was supposed to have been here just a week ago. We were hoping he would still be here or someone would know where to find him."

"Why is he so mad? People will be here this evening."

"We have to fly home this afternoon. We have school and work, and our son is waiting for us back in Washington."

The man pouted. "What's his father's name?"

"Sergeant Edward Anthony Masen."

The man's eyes lit up. He looked like he wanted to grab my hand but stopped, being careful not to touch me. "Come with me. Come on!" he said excitedly.

I looked back at Edward and then at this strange homeless man. I knew you weren't supposed to wander off with strange men, but since I had been trained by Jasper, I was pretty sure I could take him, and so I followed him.

He led me on a path through the trees that followed the side of the driveway. We came back to the intersection that we had turned at and he looked both ways, checking for traffic before darting to the underpass. "Come on."

I quickly followed behind him, but I slowed as soon as I realized all eyes were on me.

"What do you have there, Mac?" a dark-haired man asked.

The man that had led me there was smiling. "She's looking for someone. One of us!" he practically squealed.

There was a loud bang, causing me to jump. Everyone looked in the direction we had come from. "What's going on over there?" another man asked.

"Her boy is upset. He's looking for his father. They have to go home tonight and he doesn't think he'll find him."

"His father?" the dark-haired man asked, "None of us have any kids."

"Are you sure about that?" he asked the dark-haired man with a smile and turned to me. "Ma'am, I believe this is the man you're looking for," he said pointing to the dark-haired man.

"Edward Masen?" I asked.

He nodded his head yes, looking me over curiously. I could see now that if he shaved off his peppered beard, he would look almost exactly like Edward save for the dark hair and blue eyes.

I stepped forward excitedly, causing him to step back. "You're Sergeant Edward Anthony Masen? You were married to Elizabeth?"

I saw a twinge of pain flash in his eyes when I said her name and I knew I was right. He swallowed hard and nodded his head yes. Then he noticed the ring on my finger. "Where did you get that?"

"Edward," I answered immediately. He looked at me confused and I realized my mistake. "Your son," I clarified. "Your son, Edward, he's named after you."

His eyes darted to the driveway.

"Please, come with me, you have to see him. We've been looking for you all over. He just found out what your name was this past Christmas."

His eyes looked up to mine sadly. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"He didn't know my name? How does he know it now?"

"He has his mother's rings. He wears the engraved band on his pinky."

His brow furrowed. "She didn't tell him?"

"Please, just come and see him," I begged.

"I don't want to upset…" he cringed and then whispered, "Elizabeth."

"You won't, I promise, I swear. Please, he needs you." The man looked at me confused. "Please, he hasn't had an easy life. We're just starting our family and he's trying to find the rest of his."

He shook his head. "I don't want to upset his mother."

It was then I realized he didn't know. "You don't know? Mr. Masen, his mother is gone."

His eyes looked up at mine panicked. "What? What do you mean?"

"She passed away when he was twelve."

"No, NO! What happened? What happened to her?" he begged.

"She got cancer, leukemia Alice told me. Edward told me that they moved around a lot as she tried to fight it the last two years of her life, but it was no use, she lost and Edward and Alice were put in foster care."

"Alice?" he asked confused.

"His twin sister," I answered.

His expression softened. "Are they okay?" he asked. Just then, Edward let out a string of profanities and I cringed. "He's usually okay, but he really wanted to find you and he's upset that we haven't been able to. Please, come with me," I begged reaching out my hand to him.

He looked at it like it was a foreign object. His eyes darted between my eyes and my hand and then he slowly took it. I gripped him tightly, making sure he was real and he wasn't going to get away. I quickly started dragging him up the driveway and smiled when I heard the old men under the bridge start cheering. I guessed having family come looking to bring one of them home didn't happen very often.

I felt like cheering with them.

**A/N: Bella found him! Hooray! Thanks for reading and please review!**


	49. Chapter 49

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 49 – Daddy's Home**

**Bella**

Edward was still beating the tree, still swearing up a storm. He had taken off his hoodie and cap, leaving him in just his white t-shirt that was sticking to his chest because it was soaked through with rain. His jeans looked soaked through as well and were hanging low on his hips. He finally threw the tree down and fell to his knees sobbing loudly.

I rushed to my boy, wrapping my arms around him. "Edward," I whispered.

He grabbed me, crushing me to his chest crying. "I'm sorry, baby, I'm so sorry I lost it," he cried.

I ran my fingers through his wet hair, kissing his forehead. "It's okay," I shushed him, "It's okay."

He looked into my eyes and then kissed me deeply.

I had almost forgotten where I was when I heard Mr. Masen clear his throat.

Edward jumped to his feet, pushing me behind him, taking a protective stance. I grabbed his shoulders, pulling him down a little so I could speak over his shoulder. "Edward, I want you to meet your father, Sergeant Edward Anthony Masen."

Edward stood frozen. His eyes widened as he took in his father standing before him.

Mr. Masen finally spoke. "Your girl says your name is Edward." Edward nodded his head yes. "She said you have a sister, a twin named Alice?" He nodded again. "That was my mother's name," he offered softly.

"Alice will be thrilled to hear that," Edward finally spoke.

Mr. Masen's eyes darted between me and Edward until he finally spoke. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

"S'okay," Edward said, "Mom told us you didn't know."

Mr. Masen's eyes looked pained. "You're okay, though, you doing alright?" he asked concerned.

Edward pulled me into his arms and smiled. "Yeah, I'm doing really great. We just got engaged last night."

Mr. Masen looked at my hand and smiled. "I remember buying that ring. I was scared out of my mind she would say no." He smiled, lost in his memory. "We were just kids back then, barely out of high school, but I loved her. When I asked her, she just started laughing hysterically. I thought for sure I'd made a fool of myself until she kissed me. Your mother was the most beautiful woman I've ever met and even when she was laughing and I thought she was saying no, all I could think was 'god, she's beautiful.'"

Edward tightened his grip on me. "I know how that feels," he said looking at me. I blushed at the attention.

Mr. Masen cleared his throat, drawing Edward's eyes off of me. "So, was there something you needed?" he asked nervously.

Edward smiled, "Just you. Do you have a place to stay here? Would you be open to moving with us to Washington?"

Mr. Masen tugged on his damp coat nervously. "I'm not right, Son"

"I know you've been in and out of mental hospitals," Edward offered.

Mr. Masen frowned. "I was trying to get better for Lizzy, I was. I was stupid, joining the service right out of high school, but I wanted to be a soldier, a hero. We got married but then they sent me overseas a week later. The things I saw over there…I came back a few months later injured and so messed up. I couldn't go home that way, so I went for help, hoping to go home all better and start a family with her and have a normal life. We kept in touch while I was in there, but then she stopped writing. I didn't know what happened to her. I thought she'd moved on." He looked on the verge of tears.

"She never did, she never divorced you, and she never dated. I have a feeling it was always you. She wore her rings for as long as she could, but then she was just too sick. She gave them to Alice for safe keeping. I honestly have no idea how the hell she kept hold of them all those years we were in and out of homes and on the street."

Edward didn't realize it, but his words seemed to cut right through poor Mr. Masen's heart. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I couldn't get better. I'm sorry I gave up and I'm still not better now," Mr. Masen said through tears.

Edward rushed forward and hugged him tightly and after a moment, his father hugged him back.

"Come on, you're coming home with us," Edward said sure of himself.

Mr. Masen looked pained. "I'm really not right, Son, I'm not safe," he said glancing at me.

"That's fine. We'll get you in a place close by that can help you then. I want you in our lives, Dad. I want you to meet our son. I want you to be at our wedding," Edward begged.

He nodded okay and Edward hugged him again and then pulled him toward the rental car. "Come on, Dad, you've got some more family to meet."

**Edward**

I had found my dad. Actually, my Bella found him! He was here in my hotel room showering. Bella had gotten me stop at a store before we went back to the hotel and she ran in for a moment, coming back with bags full of dry clean clothing, a razor, and some other toiletries and things for my dad.

I was so shocked I had actually found my dad that I didn't even stop to realize that we would need those things for him. My beautiful girl had a heart of gold and was ordering us some pizza for dinner when she surprised me yet again.

"Yes, the underpass at that intersection, you heard me right." She rolled her eyes at me, letting me know she was annoyed with the guy on the phone. "That's what I said, six extra-large pizzas with everything on them and six two-liter bottles of soda," she scoffed then said hold on. It was then I realized my dad had just stepped out of the bathroom. I saw now why everyone would mistake me for him. We looked almost identical, only he was a little more weather-beaten.

Bella smiled beautifully at him. "Mr. Masen, do you know what your friends would like to drink?"

"Um, fresh water would be their first choice," he offered shrugging.

She turned her attention back to the phone. "Do you have bottled water?" She smiled and gave us a nod. "Okay send a dozen of them as well, please. Yes, the underpass. Just ask for Mac, that way you'll know you have the right group. Tell him thanks for coming to my rescue. Okay, thanks."

She sat back on the bed smiling and when I looked up at my dad, I saw he had tears in his eyes. "You hang on to that girl," he said smiling.

"What did you mean rescue?" I finally asked her.

"Mac heard you swearing and banging away and came to check to see if I was alright. He was the one that led me to your dad," she said smiling.

"Are you telling me you went off with a stranger?" I asked nearly panicked. She could have been raped or even killed!

She rolled her eyes at me.

"Bella, honey, that's insane! You could have been killed," I said upset as I pulled her into my lap.

She was about to protest, but then my dad cut her off. "He's right you know. You're lucky it was my group you happened upon and not someone else's. All of my guys are former military, all veterans and upright types all around. There are some pretty shady people living out here on the streets, though, and you need to be more careful, girl."

"Oh, please, I felt completely safe with Mac. I could have taken him," she said sure of herself.

My dad started laughing. "You'd better never let him hear you say that, honey. He's a former Navy SEAL. I'm pretty sure even in his frail old age, you couldn't have laid a finger on him."

She pouted.

"Of course, he would have never hurt you, either. He's a wonderful, kind man, has a very gentle nature despite his training and his circumstances. He looks out for the other guys and always shares anything he gets. He's been a good friend to all of us," he added and she smiled.

"I had a feeling he was a good guy. I have a knack for picking out the good ones you know," she said smiling at me.

My beautiful Bella was a saint and I was going to hang on to her for dear life.

**A/N: Hooray! Daddy is coming home! Thanks for reading and please review!**


	50. Chapter 50

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 50 – Meet the family**

**Edward**

We had just gotten off the plane when I warned my dad that Alice could be a bit enthusiastic. Bella let out a snorting laugh and covered her mouth. I took a few steps ahead of them when I heard Bella tell him how Alice had knocked me to the ground the last time we were here.

"I'll be sure to brace myself," he said chuckling.

It was only seconds after we had made it to the baggage claim that I was knocked over by my sister. She was squealing in my ear. I had actually stumbled back into my father's arms. He caught the pair of us laughing. When Alice looked up and saw his face, her eyes just about popped out of her head. She practically leaped over me, wrapping her arms firmly around his neck and kissing his cheeks several time. "Oh, my god, I can't believe it. You found him! You found him, Edward, you found our dad!" she squealed.

Our dad hugged her back, holding her tightly and I could see he was fighting back tears. When she finally released him, he said, "You look just like your mother. You have her excitement as well, beautiful little Alice. That was my mother's name. I'm so happy she passed it on to you."

"Really? I was named after my grandma?" she smiled at me. "I was named after my grandma, Edward."

"Our grandma, I corrected. I was named after our dad," I said teasing her, sticking out my tongue. I could hear Bella and my dad laughing at us and it sounded really good.

The closer we got to home, the more agitated my dad seemed to get. He kept looking at us worriedly, but he didn't say anything. When we pulled up to the house, he stepped out of the car, but he then remained on the porch. It was late and it was time for bed. "Come on, Dad, come inside."

He shook his head no. "I'll just stay on the porch here."

"No, I'm not letting you sleep outside."

I felt Bella's hand on my arm. "Maybe we should call Dr. Cullen and see if he can help out?"

My dad's eyes darted to me. "Who is Dr. Cullen?"

"He adopted Alice and I when we were fifteen."

"Oh," he said sadly.

"Let me call them. I'm sure they're anxious to meet you," I said pulling out my phone, not giving him a choice.

Carlisle was there in ten minutes flat with his bag. He hurried up the steps with a smile and quickly grabbed my dad's hand. "It's so good to meet you, Sir. I'm so glad Edward was able to find you," he said sincerely and I could see my dad smile a little. "Edward, why don't you guys go inside so your father and I can talk in private for a moment."

I nodded, knowing this was Carlisle's way of saying that he wanted to examine my dad and we needed to leave.

They sat on the little porch swing we had and I could hear the happy hum of Carlisle's voice, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. I watched from the window as he pulled a syringe out of his bag and gave my dad a shot of something in the arm. Then Carlisle was on his phone so I assumed he was done.

I snuck out the door and smiled at my dad. "Feeling a little better?"

He nodded. "That's a nice man you've got there for a dad."

I frowned at his words. "He's not my dad, my guardian, yes, family of some sort, definitely, but you're my dad."

Carlisle smiled at us. "Esme will be here any moment with EJ. She's anxious to meet your dad and now that he's feeling a little more relaxed, I think he'll enjoy meeting his grandson."

Bella jumped off the porch and pulled EJ out of the car as soon and Esme pulled up. I heard her talking sweetly, cooing at our son and it made me smile to see how happy she was to have him back. He was kicking excitedly and I was just as thrilled when she walked up carrying him and he reached out to me. He wanted me.

"How's my big boy? Were you good for Nana Esme?" I asked and he squealed happily.

I kissed on him for a minute and then turned him so he could see my father. My son looked at both of use like he was confused for a second then he smiled, reaching for my dad. My dad's eyes widened, a little shocked and scared as I passed my son to him. He held on to him carefully with both hands as little EJ patted his face, smiling at him.

"He definitely likes you," Bella said smiling. "Why don't we go inside and get ready for bed," she said reaching for our son. "Edward, honey, make up the couch for your dad, we'll figure out something better for him tomorrow."

I saw my dad glance at Carlisle. Carlisle stepped forward and patted his shoulder. "We'll have your place ready by tomorrow. I promise," he reassured my dad. "Bella, you mind bringing him by at lunch so I can do a more thorough examination on him?"

"Of course," my beautiful fiancée answered, not missing a beat. "Kisses goodnight," she said and brought my son around for everyone to cuddle before he went to bed. My dad smiled, kissing the top of his head. Then he looked at me, "He takes after you," he said smiling.

"Yeah, well, I take after my dad, too."

Bella had just put our son down and came to make sure the couch was made up for my dad. Alice was curled up next to him, chatting away about god knows what, but my dad sat there smiling and nodding.

My girl plopped in my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck. She kissed my jaw and smiled at me. I was about to tell her I loved her when a loud squeal cut through the room.

"Alice, the baby's sleeping," Bella shushed her.

"YOU'RE ENGAGED! You did it, Edward, you finally manned up and asked her! I'm so excited! We have a wedding to plan! Oh, my god, I'm calling Esme right now! I can't believe you didn't tell them when they were here!"

"Alice, settle down. We haven't even set a date yet." I looked at Bella, hoping my saying that would get her thinking about a date.

"When did you want to get married?" she asked me.

"This summer maybe, before we go to UW."

"Oh, a June wedding would be beautiful!" Alice squealed.

"But yours and EJ's birthdays are in June."

"Fine, July then. We'll even get some fireworks to celebrate the occasion."

We finally decided on the second weekend in July to be married. We would call Esme and have her meet Bella at the hospital for lunch. Bella could pick me up so we could tell both Carlisle and Esme together over lunch. I was nervous and excited at the same time. I was sure they would be happy for us.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	51. Chapter 51

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 51 – Hot headed **

**Bella**

Alice was up early. I felt bad for Mr. Masen because she attacked him first thing, chatting his ear off as she made breakfast. I fed and dressed EJ and passed him off to Edward who was dressed and ready, waiting for me to hand EJ over to him.

Alice and Edward were going to drop EJ off at Esme's and I would take Mr. Masen in to work with me.

After breakfast, I walked Edward to the door and he kissed me passionately while Alice stood by making gagging noises for EJ, saying, "Ew, Mommy and Daddy kissing is so yucky."

Edward released me and smacked my ass just as he walked out the door, making me giggle. I turned back around to see Mr. Masen watching us and blushed.

"Just let me grab my stuff," I said walking into the kitchen.

He followed me, standing in the doorway watching as I loaded my purse. I opened the drawer I had stashed my stuff in that I could not take on the plane. His eyes widened as I put my mace, pepper spray, and tazer gun into my bag. I pulled out my peashooter and strapped it to my ankle and covered it up.

"Where the hell do you work?" he asked shocked.

I looked up at him and smiled. "My dad is just a little overprotective of me."

"I'd say. Does Edward know you carry all this stuff?"

I just nodded my head yes and motioned for him to follow me. We pulled up to the police station and Mr. Masen actually looked relieved. We walked in and several people said hello and I waved good morning to them, taking Mr. Masen to my dad's office. I walked right into his office, not even pausing to knock.

"Morning, Daddy," I said kissing my dad's cheek. He smiled happily at me and looked over at who I had brought with me, as if asking 'who do we have here?'

"Daddy, this is Edward's father, Sergeant Edward Masen," I smiled, turning to Mr. Masen with a flourish. "This is my daddy, Chief Charles Swan."

My dad reached across the desk and shook his hand, "Nice to meet you, Sergeant," Charlie said smiling.

"The pleasure's mine, Chief Swan."

"Charlie, please," my dad corrected with a smile.

"Okay, Charlie, and please, call me Ed," Mr. Masen offered and my dad smiled wider, nodding that he would.

"Well, I have some paperwork to catch up on. I was going to let him use the computer to register his new address with veteran's affairs if that's okay, Daddy?"

My dad nodded and smiled, meaning that was fine.

"I'm going to meet Esme for lunch at the hospital. I was hoping you would join us? I'm picking up Edward, too. We have an announcement."

My dad's eye narrowed and he glared at my stomach.

"I'm not pregnant again, Dad!" I snapped.

He smiled and nodded okay. I knew he would be there.

The time seemed to fly and it was time for me to pick Edward up from school for lunch. Mr. Masen looked at me confused when I pulled up to the high school.

"Edward is still in high school?" he asked shocked.

Edward jumped in the passenger side door, leaning over and kissing me before I could answer Mr. Masen.

"Hey, baby, you ready? I'm pretty sure Alice has the wedding completely planned out to the point where we only have to show up," he laughed as I pulled out of the parking lot and headed to the hospital.

"You're still in high school?" Mr. Masen said shocked. "I thought you were in some sort of junior college the way you talked. You have a kid and you're getting married, but you're just a kid yourself!"

I knew Edward would get pissed off if his dad kept going. "Dad, I'm eighteen, going on nineteen, and I'm a senior in high school because I missed so much school moving around after mom died. I've taken care of myself and protected Alice from all the creeps, perverts, and child molesters we've had to dodge for years now because I didn't have the luxury of a normal childhood. I stopped being a kid a long time ago," he snapped in retort.

I watched his father's face in the rearview mirror cringe at his words. That was a low blow.

They were both silent for the rest of the drive.

Esme was waiting for us and Edward quickly took EJ into his arms while I led his dad to Carlisle's office.

Carlisle called to us to enter and I stood nervously by as Mr. Masen waited for him to finish whatever he was doing.

When Carlisle looked up, Mr. Masen snapped. "What the hell happened? My son has a kid and is still in high school! Now they're talking about marriage! He's just a kid! How can you let this happen?"

Carlisle's eyes darted to me and I blushed sheepishly. I didn't know what to say.

"Mr. Masen, Edward and Alice are in high school because they missed so much the years they were in the system. His peers are all in college by this time. Bella is very mature for her age and has been a very good influence on your son, having saved him more than once since they've met. If they do decide to get married, I have to say that I'll support them and I believe my wife will as well."

Mr. Masen huffed upset.

Carlisle seemed to ignore him, walking past us out into the hallway. He opened a door to an exam room. "Dr. Cooper with be with you shortly. He's a good friend of mine that specializes in what you need. Once you're done here, you can find us down in the cafeteria," Carlisle said with a tight smile and then shut the door.

We started down the hall and I felt horrible for leaving Carlisle hanging out to dry like that.

"I'm sorry. When he saw where we were picking up Edward from, he got upset with us. Edward told him off and took off as soon as we got here. I didn't know what to say. I swear I never meant…"

He cut me off. "Bella," he put a calming hand on my shoulder, "It's fine. I'm glad he took out his frustration on me and not you or Edward, neither of you deserve it. He's still getting to know you both. Give it time. He'll see you're ready soon enough."

Edward and Esme already had our food and a table waiting for us. Charlie came in right after we did, pulling up a chair to the tray Edward offered him.

"So, what's the announcement?" Esme asked smiling.

Edward took my hand and played with my ring. He set our clasped hands on the table. "I asked Bella to marry me over Valentine's Day weekend and she said yes."

Esme jumped up squealing. She quickly passed EJ to my dad and hugged us both. I may have been mistaken, but my dad looked somewhat relieved.

"Have you picked a date?" Esme asked nearly bouncing out of her skin.

"Second weekend in July," Edward offered squeezing my hand.

"Oh, so little time and so much to do!" she squealed. "Oh, Charlie, you have to go easy on her, she has to have time to plan her wedding."

My dad smiled and kissed my cheek.

"So, that's it?" Mr. Masen interrupted us, "You're just going to let them do this? Edward is just a child!"

"I'm not a child, Dad, and I don't have to prove myself to you. I'm a man, a father, and soon to be a husband. I don't need your approval."

"But you're still in high school! You may be eighteen, but you're still just a boy!"

"And how old were you when you married my mother?" Edward snapped.

"Times were different, Edward. Eighteen back then was…"

Edward cut him off. "Still only eighteen. You were the same age as me, Dad, and Mom was younger than Bella when Alice and I were born. Stop being a hypocrite," Edward glared at his father.

"Edward," Carlisle spoke softly, "Just give him time. I'm sure he'll come around."

Mr. Masen glared at Carlisle and then walked out. We let him go because we all knew he needed to cool down. Edward looked down at his food frowning. I knew how much having his dad in his life meant to him, but I was worried that this was going to be more of a problem than their tentative relationship was ready for.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	52. Chapter 52

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer **

**Chapter 52 - Delusional**

**Bella**

I was worried when I didn't find Mr. Masen anywhere in the parking lot. I took Edward back to school and kissed him deeply, reassuring him everything would be okay.

My dad gave me the rest of the day off to go find Mr. Masen. I took the long way home, hoping to find him walking and maybe cooling his hot head down. He and his son had much in common in that regard. I combed the streets looking for him, but I didn't have any luck. I went home to change out of my work clothes and was surprised to find him sitting in Alice's room staring at the computer.

I approached slowly, afraid I might spook him.

"When was this taken?" he asked in a shaky voice.

I stepped into the room to see what he was asking about. It was the picture of Edward beaten up on the first night we met.

"That was just before the Cullen's adopted him and Alice. I took that picture the first night we met. He saved my friend, Rosalie, from a brutal attacker. He was so brave that night."

"They say you're good for him, but by the looks of this picture..."

"It was taken before he helped me. I took it before I would let him ride with me for evidence if he tried anything. It was that picture that they used as evidence to shut down the home he and Alice were in at the time. From what Esme tells me, it was a long and grueling trial, but Edward stood his ground and saved a lot of kids. He's a good man, Mr. Masen. I knew it the first night I met him."

"He's just a boy."

"He hasn't been just a boy for a long time."

"And what of you? You can't be much older than him. I can't believe your parents would allow this marriage."

"They would because they know how I feel about Edward. They know I love him and, well, EJ is just the icing on the cake. We had been planning to be together for a long time before the baby came along. We were trying to take things slowly, but nature had its own plans."

He was quiet like he was trying to comprehend everything I was saying, but then suddenly he jumped up. "They found us! Quickly, under the bed, you have to hide. They'll kill you if they find you! Quickly!" he shouted shoving me into my room.

I crawled under my bed, listening as he told an imaginary person that the house was clear and that Private Michaels was mistaken when he thought he saw some kids run in here.

When I heard the front door close, I quickly crawled out from under the bed and called Carlisle, letting him know what had happened.

Edward knew his dad had problems. I didn't think he realized just how bad they were, though.

When Edward's father didn't come back, we began to worry. After three days, Edward and Alice were almost in a panic, so Charlie agreed to get together a search team and go looking for him. I was getting frustrated sitting on the sidelines, however, as everyone else took turns searching. I decided I was going to help whether they liked it or not, so I took matters into my own hands.

I was stupid.

What the hell was I thinking?

I knew my dad wouldn't approve of me traipsing through the forest. But no, stubborn me would have none of that. When his back was turned, I marked an X on the search map, indicating I was looking there, grabbed a walkie-talkie and a fanny pack, and slipped off before he even noticed.

In my stealth, I had failed to notice that I had grabbed a dead walkie-talkie that was recharging. Yes, I was a dumb shit and now I was in the middle of nowhere alone, looking for a crazy man. This was such a classic fuck up for me.

I had been out here for hours now and it was starting to get dark. I felt my milk let down again and cursed a little. My breasts were killing me. Poor EJ was probably starving. I was sure Esme was running low on pumped milk. I needed to breast feed and soon.

My breasts were becoming seriously engorged and I was feeling tired. My body ached and I was freezing cold. It wasn't uncommon for the weather to be all over the place here. It had been reasonably nice when I started out this morning, but now it was just cold and looked like rain.

I carefully held my hands on my hips as I walked, not moving my arms. I had missed four feedings now and my body was not happy about it. I stepped carefully because every move made my breasts ache. EJ had better be starving by the time I made it back.

I looked around, trying to find some sort of indication that this was the path I had come in on, but there was none. I tried my walkie-talkie one more time frustrated. I didn't get any sort of sound from it. The thing was completely dead. I was starting to feel really tired now and I was freezing badly. I sat down to rest and before I knew what was happening, everything went black.

I didn't know how long I had been out, but I felt myself being jostled. My breasts hurt horribly and I couldn't open my eyes. I could tell someone was carrying me and all I could think was my dad would have my head for taking off. I blacked out again.

"Medic!" a familiar voice shouted, "Medic! God, she's just a kid, Captain, you've got to let them treat her, please," the man begged.

"Of course, quickly, bring her over."

**Edward**

It had been three days since my dad took off into the forest in one of his delusional fits. Charlie had everyone looking for him and even had some friends at a nearby Indian reservation looking. Alice was so upset that she wasn't talking again and wasn't letting anyone near her. I hated that he had made her revert like that. This was supposed to be a happy time for us. We were supposed to be planning our wedding, but Bella had been too busy trying to help find my dad.

And now Bella was missing.

I realized this when I noticed that there was only one bottle left in the refrigerator for EJ. She was so good about keeping milk supplied for him. I tried calling her cell, but I got nothing. I hurried to the station to see what was so important that she would neglect our son, but she wasn't there. I tried her cell again and heard it ringing in her desk drawer.

I was starting to panic.

Charlie noticed me looking at her desk freaking out and asked me what was wrong.

"I can't find her and we're almost out of milk for EJ; it's not like her to miss a feeding, it makes her uncomfortable."

Charlie's eyes flashed around the room, taking in her absence. He let out a quick whistle, getting everyone's attention instantly. He walked over to the map on the wall and counted up the X's on it.

"Sound off, name your counterparts and point to them on the map," he ordered.

Eight people holding walkie-talkies quickly moved forward. The Chief handed them a pen and they each stepped forward, saying a name and writing it on the map next to an X.

There was one X that was not named or accounted for. The Chief frowned and then pointed to the two guys that had written names on either side of the X. "Get your men out there."

They nodded and quickly started giving orders to move in a different direction and to look for Bella. She was out there somewhere and wasn't reporting in.

It was starting to sink in that my girl was lost. I sank into a chair, gripping my hair, trying to keep from sobbing. I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see the Chief's worried eyes. "We'll find her, Son, I promise."

I finally pulled myself together enough to call Esme and let her know what was going on. She tried to reassure me everything would be alright and then asked to speak with the Chief. His brow furrowed at whatever Esme had told him. He looked really worried now.

I grabbed the phone from him and yelled at Esme, "What is it?" She was quiet. "Damn it, Esme, what's wrong?" I shouted.

"Edward, she hasn't fed the baby, she's probably engorged."

"We'll find her! EJ will be fine until we do. I can pick you up some formula for him and she can pump when she gets back."

"Edward," her tone was serious and it scared me.

"Esme, please," I begged trying to fight off tears. Bella had to be fine.

Esme sighed, sounding very concerned. "Due to not having nursed for so long, she's in danger of getting a breast infection, dear. They develop quickly and are very painful, and terribly dangerous. If this happens, her fever will be high and might cause her to have seizures, resulting in brain damage. I'm not trying to scare you, Edward, but be prepared for what you may see when they bring her in."

I sobbed into the phone, terrified for my girl.

"Edward, you need to stop that. EJ needs you to be strong. You know Chief Swan will find her. I need you to help me keep EJ settled while we wait. We can't feed him too much; he needs to be hungry when she gets back. Come home and help me, Edward. Bella will be home soon."

I sat silently on the phone for a moment and then looked up to see the Chief watching me with sad eyes.

"She wants me to come home and help distract EJ from being hungry. She wants him to nurse as soon as she's back."

The Chief nodded okay.

"I don't want to go. I need to find her; we've got to find her," I pleaded. Charlie pulled me into his arms and squeezed me tightly. He never spoke much, but his love was definitely felt.

He spoke softly, "Go, you and EJ will be the first to see her when we get her. She'll need you both."

I hugged him again, thanking him and did as he said. He was right. EJ would be needed and I would be the one to bring him in to help her.

We had to be ready for Bella.

**Bella**

I heard screaming and then I realized it was me. I was in so much pain. I wasn't sure what was going on, but it hurt like hell, worse than childbirth even. I couldn't stop myself from screaming in pain. I still couldn't move to fight off whoever was hurting me. My body was holding me captive so they didn't need to. I was trapped and there was no way to stop them.

**A/N: Ya'll have to know, I have never been sicker than when I got a breast infection from not feeding the baby on one side. Little monkey had latched on wrong, causing me to blister so I was letting it heal. Turns out it was a bad idea. A breast infection set in fast, really fast. I had just enough time to call my husband to come home from work so he could carry my unconscious body to the emergency room. Really really sucked, no pun intended.)**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	53. Chapter 53

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 53 – Draining Ordeal**

**Edward**

We hadn't been waiting long when we got a call from Charlie telling us to meet him at the hospital. My father had been found and so had Bella.

I left Esme to get EJ out of the car. I had to get to Bella now. I had to see that she was okay. I was praying that she was. I flew through the doors and found Charlie immediately. Then my eyes landed on the man next to him.

My father.

This was all his fault. Bella would have never been out there if it hadn't been for him and I told him so, shouting at him. I lunged at him furious, but Charlie caught me mid-air, holding me back and stopping my attack.

"Edward!" he barked gruffly. I had never heard Chief Swan speak like that and it startled me. "He's sedated, boy; he's not in his right mind."

I realized my father didn't even flinch and he made no move to protect himself as I yelled and fought to get at him. He stood glassy-eyed, staring into the distance. Carlisle walked into the room and he suddenly came to life.

"Medic! Medic! You have to help her! Please, Captain, save her, she's just a child!" he begged and then looked at his empty hands confused.

Carlisle put his arm around him. "I have her, Sir. She's going to be alright. You saved her, Sergeant Masen, she'll be fine."

Esme came walking in with EJ and Carlisle smiled widely at them. "Just what the doctor ordered."

Another orderly walked up and took my father away to god knows where, but I didn't care right now. I needed to see Bella.

Carlisle led us into her room and explained that the infection had caused a high fever which had knocked her out, but we need to help her feed the baby.

Esme handed me the baby and all eyes fell on me. She untied one shoulder of Bella's gown, exposing her breast. It was huge, bigger than I had ever seen it before and covered in red lines.

"Hurry, Edward. We need to stop the infection before it gets too far," Esme said.

It was then I realized little EJ was wiggling, trying to get to his food. I brought him forward and he latched on immediately.

Bella screamed, causing us all to jump and little EJ to look up at her afraid, hesitant to try and eat again.

"Edward, he must eat, it's the best and least painful way. You need to comfort EJ so he'll continue to eat," Esme encouraged.

I brought EJ forward again, and when she screamed again, instead of pulling away, I cuddled my son closer and whispered it was okay and stroked his soft hair so he wouldn't pull away. He continued to eat and once her breast was looking a more normal size, they had me move EJ to the other side.

This breast was in the same condition; overly full and cover in red infected veins, just like the first.

She screamed out in pain when he latched on again. The tears were streaming down her face as she cried out. I couldn't stand that my girl was in so much pain, that I was causing her so much pain. I hadn't even realized I was crying until Esme hugged me and wiped away my tears.

A nurse came in and used a breast pump on Bella once EJ was done. The amount of milk she extracted even after he had eaten was surprising. I held my son tightly, trying to comfort him and find comfort at the same time as I watched them work on his mother.

Bella's cries had died down to whimpers and she seemed to fall into a deep sleep once the nurse was done with her.

"Make sure he eats on both sides as soon as he's hungry again," the nurse said as she put some heating pads around Bella's breasts. I looked at Esme confused.

"They're to keep her breasts from clogging. The extra heat will help fight the infection." She came over and sat next to me. "She's going to be fine, Edward, you'll see, she's doing great. Your dad found her in time."

I scowled at the mention of my dad.

I was surprised when Carlisle came to his defense. "He didn't have to help her, Edward; he could have stayed hidden and safe from the war he believes was going on. What he did in his mind was committing treason. In his mind, he disobeyed orders to save a child of the enemy. We would have never found him if he didn't want to be found. Instead, he found Bella and carried her out of the forest looking for help, exposing himself to the enemy in his mind that's very real to him. I know it's hard to understand, Son, but he really sacrificed a lot to save Bella."

I didn't want to hear how my father had saved Bella. He was the reason she was out there in the first place.

"Edward," we heard a soft mumble come from the bed.

We all jumped up, surrounding her.

"Watch her chest, dear, it's still very tender," Esme warned.

I was careful not to bump it as I kissed her forehead. "Hey, baby, I'm here. I'm here, Bella."

Her eyes fluttered open and I smiled, so relieved she was finally awake.

"Hey," she smiled.

I leaned down and kissed her lips gently. "How are you feeling?"

She moved her arm and it bumped her chest, causing her to flinch. "Yeah, those are off limits until EJ's done fixing them."

She looked at me confused and started to laugh a little. "Ouch, Edward, don't make me move."

I rolled my eyes at her smiling.

"Where is EJ?" she asked. Charlie had come in and somehow ended up holding him. He brought him forward.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I was so stupid. I just wanted to help."

He leaned down to kiss her head and EJ lunged for her chest. Apparently, he was feeling possessive after being denied for so long. Bella cringed and I could tell he was hurting her. I went to take him, but Esme said if he wanted to nurse again, we should let him. I helped Bella hold him, watching her cringe, biting down on her lip and bouncing her leg as he ate. She was in pain, but she was trying not to scream out.

I kissed her head. "I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, Edward. It was my stupidity that caused this," she said through clenched teeth. I wanted to argue with her, but I just kept my mouth shut. After worrying so much about losing her, all I wanted to do was hold her and my son.

Dealing with the issue of my dad could wait.

**A/N: For those of you who have never had a breast infection, breast feeding is the best and least painful way to get rid of it. The breasts need to be completely drained and a baby is less invasive and more effective than a pump, especially when they are infected. It hurts like freaking hell to feed the baby. Usually scares the poor little dears half to death as you try not to scream and cry so much. Not something I would recommend doing for fun.**

**For those who didn't get it, Bella was screaming last chapter because she was in the hospital and Edward was helping EJ eat. She just wasn't coherent enough to know what was going on.**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	54. Chapter 54

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 54 - Needy**

**Bella**

Things were almost back to normal.

Almost.

Edward was so distraught. He seemed to cheer up when he was interacting with EJ or me, but otherwise, he just seemed so sad.

His father was staying in a nearby mental facility.

They kept him sedated. It seemed as long as he wasn't upset, he was in reality. But as soon as anything excited him, it set him off and he was back fighting the war.

Alice was working with Esme, completely throwing herself into planning our wedding. She visited with her father every day after school, but Edward refused to join her.

This was something we discussed in therapy. We both strongly disagreed on the subject. I believed he should see his father; he wanted nothing to do with him which made me want to just smack him. We had gone to so much trouble to find him and he was ill. I tried to get Edward to see how much his father needed him, but my stubborn boy was hard headed with a hot temper and refused to see reason.

Alice came home from one of her visits and actually did smack him hard and yelled at him, "You're such a jerk! Do you realize that you're setting him off? You don't even have to be there, but because he's worrying so much about how you're doing, it just triggers his attacks! I want to talk to my father and I can't because of you. Get over yourself, you asshole, and give me back my daddy!" she shouted smacking him again.

I had never seen Edward cower, but he was cowering away from Alice now for sure. Her little five foot tall frame shook over him with fury as she yelled at him.

His panicked eyes darted to me for help, but I just crossed my arms and nodded in agreement.

Alice was right; my boy needed to get over it.

Alice stormed out of the room and I could hear her bedroom door slam. She was most definitely pissed at her brother.

"My mother called," I said trying to distract his thoughts, "She wants me to come out and visit. I was thinking I would go before school is out and summer break starts. That way I don't miss as much time with you."

He pouted at me.

"You'll be busy at school most of the day so you won't even miss me if I go now."

He pulled me down into his lap. "I'll always miss you," he said and nuzzled me close. I kissed his nose and he pouted and tipped his chin up so I could kiss his lips.

"I don't like you leaving," he murmured against my lips.

"I know, but my mother misses me and she wants to see EJ."

"Is it safe for you to go back to Florida?"

"Yes, it's fine. You were the one that was fed to the gators, not me," I smirked.

He groaned. "Are you going to see your druggy friend?"

"Jake is not a druggy, he can't help who his dad is," I defended.

"Right, you just keep telling yourself that."

I smacked his shoulder. He should know this better than anyone.

"Hey, haven't I suffered enough abuse for one day?"

"It was all well-deserved," I teased. "Besides, I want to see George; chances are I'll see Jake, too. I'll be safe with him. I trust him."

"Well, I don't," he scowled.

"Yes, well, I'm a better judge of character. I picked you, didn't I?" I kissed his nose smirking.

He grabbed my face and kissed my lips roughly. I shifted my hips so I could grind down on him. He quickly lifted us from the couch and ran us into the bedroom so he could thoroughly attack me.

I had to say, I enjoyed being thoroughly attacked.

**Edward**

I was silently panicking. I didn't want Bella to go to Florida. She swore it was safe, but I was sure that it wasn't.

My inner caveman was in overdrive. I had to claim her every chance I had. The only time I felt at peace was when I was inside of her. Thank god she never turned me away. She let me take her over and over again, stealing her away from her work and chores. It had been a week since she told me she was leaving to see her mom and I had claimed her over a dozen times since. I needed her. I didn't know if I could handle her leaving again.

I pulled her into a little alcove outside Dr. Kate's office. We were a few minutes early and Bella was still wearing her work skirt. I pinned her to the wall and I saw her check her watch. She didn't say no, just to be quick. I had a feeling she was going to address this issue today. I didn't even bother to take off her panties, just pushed them aside and shoved into her. She wasn't that wet, but she wasn't dry, either.

"I'm sorry, baby, I just need you."

Her hands wound into my hair and she kissed me softly. "I know. I'm yours," she promised her eyes sincere. I loved her so much, not because I was having sex with her, but because she knew I needed her and gave herself to me freely without hesitation. I loved my girl more than anything in the world.

My Bella was a saint.

After a quick trip to the bathroom, Bella joined me on Dr. Kate's couch. I was fidgeting nervously so of course Dr. Kate pointed it out and asked me what was wrong.

We discussed Bella going to Florida and my fear of her not coming home. I didn't want her to leave me again.

"I never left you, Edward. I swear I was just waiting for you. I was there waiting for you. You know this. We had a wonderful Valentine's Day weekend in Florida, remember? I was there, thrilled to see you, I wasn't gone. I was never gone."

"I don't want you to see Jake."

"Edward, he would never hurt me. He saved you and helped you get away from Rico's gang."

"I think he likes you. I don't want him stealing my girl."

"He doesn't like me like that, Edward."

"He made you pretend to be his girlfriend."

"SO I WOULDN'T BE RAPED! He has no interest in me, Edward! He never made a move on me or said anything like that unless he was putting on a show in front of those other guys. He was always a perfect gentleman. He's just a friend, honey."

"Yeah, that's what they all say. I could hear the way he kissed you. I didn't know it was you at the time and one of the other jokers said they caught him playing with your breast. You can't tell me that was nothing!"

"It was an accident. I was breastfeeding EJ and his foot got caught in my shirt. I wasn't covering up fast enough to hide myself from the other guys so Jake pulled my shirt up for me before anyone else could get an eyeful, and yes, we kissed, but it was all for show and I can tell you now there was nothing between us, Edward. There was no spark, not for either one of us."

"I don't believe it. I know he wants you. How can he not?"

"Edward, we kissed and he ground his hips and very flaccid dick against me for show. He wasn't interested or I would have felt it, honey. He doesn't want me like that. I was just a friend he was protecting. He doesn't want me and I don't want him. You're all I want, honey. I'm sorry you had to hear that crap, but I promise you it was nothing but acting," she said grabbing my face, looking me strait in the eye. "I promise; it was always only you."

I wanted to believe her about Jake, but what guy wouldn't want my girl? She was beautiful, sweet, and so desirable. No normal, red-blooded guy could possibly resist my Bella. I knew I couldn't. If Jake didn't want her, which I found hard to believe, then he had to be gay.

Just saying.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	55. Chapter 55

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 55 – Killer Teddy**

**Bella**

Edward was being a poop. He didn't want me to go, but there was no stopping me. I told him that if he went to visit his father, I would come home early. I could see him mentally warring with himself. I hoped I would be coming home early for all our sakes.

I had called and let George know I was coming and that I planned to visit. He was very excited and said I would have to come to dinner with him one evening. He said he had something exciting to tell me. I had a feeling it had to do with Gretchen.

I was surprised when Jake, George, and my mom were all waiting for me in baggage claim. There were hugs and snuggles for EJ all around. My mother said she had to go back to work. She was a school teacher and they were having trouble finding substitutes for her so she could take a few days off with me. I told her not to worry about it because I was sure George and Jake could keep me busy.

I was right.

We went back to the boat shop were George proceeded to tell me all sorts of fish tales about things he had caught in the bayou. When he mentioned a shoe with a foot still in it, I looked at Jake.

"Wasn't me," he said holding his hands up.

George let out a laugh. "Now why on earth would Jake be dropping bodies in the bayou? It would take too much effort on his part. All that lifting is against his lazy-ass religion," George teased.

Jake and I both laughed nervously, sharing a knowing look.

George left to go meet Gretchen for lunch and I let him take little EJ with him, leaving Jake and I to talk. Surprisingly, we were rather comfortable sitting back behind the counter together shooting the breeze.

When the front door chimed, he told me to get it.

I teased him, "Hell no, I'm not working and you're not holding a baby as an excuse to sit on your ass. You go."

Just as he stood, a huge dark-haired gentleman cleared his throat, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Dad?" Jake sounded panicked. "What the hell are you doing here?" he growled quietly, but I still heard it.

"Do we have somewhere we can talk?" Mr. Black asked his son. He looked at me worried and I just waved him off.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Black." He looked at me surprised when I spoke to him. I just smiled. "I've heard so much about you."

He looked to Jake and then narrowed his eyes at me. "What have you heard?" he glanced at Jake then fixed his gaze on me again.

"Well, that you lost your wife, but you loved her so very much. Jake said you're anxious for him to find a love like that. He's worried he never will."

Mr. Black's expression softened when I mentioned his wife and Jake settling down.

"You raised a good man, Mr. Black. I'm sure he'll find his heart soon."

"That's very kind of you to say…" he waited for me to say my name.

"Bella," I answered his unasked question.

He smiled and looked at Jake, who just shook his head. "She's just here visiting her mom, she didn't move back. She's still working for her dad."

"Yeah, well, some kids aren't afraid to take up the family business. What does your dad do, Bella?"

"He is a Police Chief in Washington; I'm kind of his secretary right now. I do a lot of filing and coffee making," I offered ignoring the tightening of Mr. Black's jaw.

He kind of grunted and then motioned to Jake to lead him to the back room so they could talk.

"They found a fucking foot, Dad! I told you not to have your minions dump shit in our bayou. What do you think will happen if the cops come sniffing around and find out I'm your son? You're supposed to keep me clean so I can have a normal life," Jake growled.

"The problem has been rectified and the offenders punished. They were warned to stay away from you and this area," Mr. Black said sternly. "I'm sorry, Son." He was quiet for a minute. "Is she really a Police Chief's daughter?"

"Yes, and I'm clean so it shouldn't matter if I hang out with her. If anything, it'll just prove I have nothing to hide, right? Because I don't have anything to hide, right, Dad?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know I promised your mother. I would never break a promise to her, you know that."

"So, what are you doing here, Dad? Why didn't you have Embry and his crew just come by my place later, why risk being out?"

"Because this is important, Jake, and private. I don't want anyone hearing this shit. This is family business and I don't want to embarrass you. I wanted to talk to you before I took action."

"What's going on?"

"We have a guy watching Sam and Emily and your baby boy, Jacob Jr. They've reported to me that Sam's been getting involved with the girl."

"So?"

"That doesn't bother you, that he's touching what's yours?"

"No, Dad, I don't want her, and if he's involved with her, he'll just be more inclined to protect my kid, right? She would be upset if anything happened to him so he'll be more diligent in protecting him. I don't see a problem; I see it as a good thing. Maybe you can get him to marry her and adopt the boy so I don't have to pay child support any more. That would be nice."

His dad was silent for a while. "So, you're okay with this?"

"Yeah, Dad, I just fucked her, it's not like I liked her or anything. I was just getting my rocks off."

"Boy, I think you've been hanging around the guys too long. How are you supposed to find a forever kind of love if you're just fucking around?"

Jake must have shrugged because I didn't hear his answer.

"What about the girl? You like her, right?"

"I do, but, I don't know, not romantically or anything. She sort of feels like a sister to me, you know? I feel protective of her, like family. Besides, she's got a kid. It makes it kind of hard to…"

"Ah, Jake, not everything revolves around fucking, for god sakes."

"I know, and Bella's a nice girl; she's a great mom to her kid which I find endearing, but I just don't get it up for her. If I'm ever going to settle down and have a family, I think that's required."

"Jesus, boy, fine."

"Make sure no one bugs her while she's in town. She's my friend. Besides, you don't need a Police Chief breathing down your neck."

"Of all the girls to befriend…"

"Hey, maybe she has some hot friends without kids she can introduce me to," Jake hedged.

"Jesus, Jake, use your heart to find a girl, not your dick," Mr. Black snapped and I heard a smack.

"Fine, fine, so are you going to push Sam to marry Emily and get the bitch off my back?"

"Yeah, if that's what you want."

"It is, thanks for looking out for me, Dad."

"Always, I love you, Son."

I quickly pulled out a book and acted like I was reading it. The men walked out of the back room. Mr. Black had his arm around Jake.

"Bella, it was nice to meet you," he said politely.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, too, Mr. Black. Maybe we'll see you around," I offered.

He threw a look in Jake's direction and Jake shrugged in response, so Mr. Black just smiled and nodded at me before he left. Once he was out of earshot, Jake let out a laugh.

"Jesus, Bella, I don't think I've ever heard a chick carry on a conversation with my dad. You've got some balls, girl."

"I have a feeling he's just a big ole' teddy bear under that killer drug lord exterior."

"Right, that's got to be it," Jake chuckled.

Laugh as he might, I was pretty sure when it came to Jake that I was right.

**A/N: Bella is right of course, drug lords are teddy bears when it comes to their kids. Okay, maybe not, but it's true in Mr. Black's case. Thanks for reading and please review!**


	56. Chapter 56

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 56 – Here we go again**

**Bella**

Edward called me frequently, whining for me to come home. I had only planned to stay five days and he was acting like it was a month.

I was right about George. He had finally gotten up the nerve and popped the question to Gretchen. They planned to go to Vegas to tie the knot at the end of May. They wanted me to be there since I was the one that had brought them together. I told them I wouldn't miss it for the world.

Though Vegas had been a bad place for us, it made me smile. That was where I had first met Edward. Or should I say groped Edward.

Damn, I missed him.

I looked at the calendar, it had only been two and a half days since I'd left Forks, but it seemed like forever.

My phone rang and when I saw it was Edward, I couldn't help but smile. "Hey," I said softly.

"Hey, baby, how are things with your mom? Can you come home yet?"

"Edward, have you been to visit your dad?"

He groaned.

"Really, honey, I think it would be good for you to go talk to him, even if you do just vent and send him into another wartime hallucination."

"Bella," he whined.

"Do it and I'll be on the next flight home."

He growled.

"You know your growl turns me on, baby," I purred.

"Oh, baby, don't use that voice, last thing I need is a fucking hard on at school."

I giggled. "You know, if I was there, we could have gone to the parking lot for a quickie."

"Jesus, Bella, fuck. I'm going to have to jack off before class."

"Can I listen?"

"Bella, please, you're not helping."

"Emmett's harry ass. That better?"

I heard Edward shudder over the phone. "Yeah, thanks."

"So, are you going to see your dad with Alice after school so I can be riding your cock this time tomorrow?"

"Fuck, Bella."

"Just say yes, Edward."

"Yes, Edward."

"Edward."

"Yes, I'll go. Plan on having lunch with me tomorrow."

"I will, honey, I'll bring sandwiches and forget my panties."

"Bella," he groaned, "So not helping."

I left Florida with several stacks of bridal magazines and a notebook full of instructions for Esme and Alice. They were actually for me, but we all knew it was Esme and Alice planning my wedding. My visit was just to help my mom feel a part of it.

Edward kept his promise to visit his dad so I kept my promise to visit him at lunch with no panties. He made me promise to come back and visit him at lunchtime every day for the rest of the week. I missed him like crazy, so I did. At night, he was just as hungry for me, and I had to admit that I was hungry for him, too.

I told him about George wanting me at the wedding and inviting us to go to Vegas. Edward was quiet for a while. I realized Vegas probably held a lot of bad memories for him. I told him I could fly there and back in the same day. I wouldn't make him go back there if he didn't want to. He didn't answer me. I decided on my own that it would be the best course of action. There was no need to upset my boy.

That morning at the end of May, Edward and Alice went off to school and I headed over to Esme's. She and Carlisle offered to give me a ride into Seattle. Esme wanted me to go to a fitting before I caught my flight. The shop was opening early for us. I thought it was silly really. I had tried the dress on in March and it fit fine. I didn't see a reason to put it on again.

The snotty store clerk gave us a fake smile as she opened the door for us. I think we both wanted this to be over with as quickly as possible.

She led me back to the changing room and helped me get the dress over my head. There seemed to be more fluff than I remembered, but I put my arms through the sleeves and waited for the girl to zip up the back. I felt her get the zipper part way up and then stop.

"Looks like someone put on a little weight," the snotty bitch said with a smirk in her voice. I wanted to slap the hell out of her.

"I haven't put on any weight!" I snapped.

"Right, the dress shrank. I'll see if I can find a larger size for you in the same style."

"Are you sure this is the right dress?" I asked noticing the dress was tighter than I remembered. A lot tighter, actually.

She huffed at me and then went to the front bottom of the dress. On the underside was pinned a tag. "Isabella Swan?" she asked showing me the tag. It was my dress alright, but I didn't understand; why on earth would I be gaining weight?

And then it hit me.

"Carlisle!" I yelled and heard him jump, "Carlisle, get back here now!" I practically screamed.

The door to the room flew open. "Are you alright?" Carlisle asked quickly.

"NO!" I snapped, "I'm not alright, my dress doesn't fit." He looked at me confused, not understanding why I was yelling at him. "Did you give me antibiotics when I was in the hospital?"

His eyes widened and I knew then why my dress didn't fit.

"Damn it! Damn it all to hell! How the fuck am I supposed to go to school and raise two kids? We're barely making it with one!" I sat down and started crying.

Esme must have heard my outburst and came running back. "Good heavens, dear, what's going on?"

"Oh, Esme, I may have been so wrapped up in making sure Bella recovered and Edward's father was okay that I forgot to inform her that I gave her an antibiotic shot to fight her infection. Looks like history is repeating itself."

"I can't believe I'm pregnant," I grumbled through my tears. My hand went down to my tummy, "How are we going to handle this? Edward is going to freak. EJ already runs him ragged. There's no way we can work, go to school, and raise our kids. I was so close, just a year and half away from my degree."

"Bella," Esme knelt in front of me, "You can do this. Carlisle and I were going to wait to tell you about your wedding present, but I guess we can tell you now if it helps make this easier on you." I looked up at her confused. "We bought a house for you two in Seattle as an engagement gift, and your wedding present is covering the cost of your schooling, dear, yours and Edward's, including your living expenses. We know marriage is a very challenging institution and we want to give you both as many advantages as possible, dear. You can do this."

I burst into tears, hugging her tightly.

The snotty store clerk broke the silence. "So, do you want me to pull some maternity gowns for her?"

God, I wanted to slap that bitch.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	57. Chapter 57

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 57 - Positive**

**Bella**

Carlisle slipped out of the shop to grab a pregnancy test. Esme had the bitch clerk pull some different gowns for me. My urge to do her bodily harm was not subsiding anytime soon.

Once Carlisle returned, I took the test into the shop bathroom. The pink lines showed up instantly. There was no waiting and no question.

I was definitely pregnant.

I came out of the bathroom and waved the little positive stick at them. Esme gave me a hug and sent the girl to bring forward some maternity gowns.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. I hope we can still help you make this a happy occasion," Carlisle apologized.

"Just, can you let me tell Edward?" I asked.

"Of course," Esme promised.

I picked out a gown and hoped Edward would still want to marry me once he found out I was pregnant again. I hoped this was not going to be too much for him. I knew he had been so stressed about his dad and registering at UW. Edward wasn't a bad student, but I knew he really struggled to maintain his grades. Throwing another fussy baby into the mix was not going to make it easy for either of us to study.

George and Gretchen's wedding was sweet. They were married at a little white chapel with only me and a friend of Gretchen's in attendance to act as witnesses. The look of excitement and love in George's eyes was unmistakable and I hoped Edward would have that for me.

Carlisle was waiting at the baggage claim for me, pacing nervously. When he saw me, he smiled and grabbed my carry-on bag from me. I didn't take a suitcase to Vegas, just a bag with my wedding outfit since I was coming home the same day.

Carlisle and Esme kept looking at me nervously, but I was too tired to care. I didn't know what time we got home, but I was glad EJ was in such a deep sleep that he didn't wake up when I moved him from the car seat to his crib.

Edward came up behind me as I kissed EJ goodnight. He pulled me into his arms and then surprised me by picking me up and carrying me to bed. I was too tired to fight him off. He undressed me and tucked me in, then snuggled next to me.

"This is where you belong. I don't like it when you go away," he whispered in my ear kissing me softly.

"I don't like going away, either. I'm glad to be home," I said just before I dozed off.

When I woke the next morning, the sun was high in the sky and I could hear EJ playing happily in his crib. Alice and Edward had long left for school, letting us sleep in because we had gotten in so late.

I went to get my baby and took him to get some breakfast in the kitchen. I had been trying to wean him the past couple of months after my milk supply had greatly reduced from my breast infection. Esme had been helping me out, feeding him some different baby foods. Luckily, little EJ took to the new foods well. I was hoping to have him weaned by my honeymoon, but it looked like I was going to have to wean him sooner. I doubted it would be good for my body to nourish two babies at the same time.

EJ had started babbling, saying mama and dada. He would also refer to his Nana Esme as nana. He seemed to be growing up so fast, but he was still my baby. I worried how he would handle having a brother or sister. I hoped he would love them. I always wanted a sister and Edward seemed to love Alice dearly.

I wanted that for EJ.

I did housework to keep me busy, waiting for Edward to get home from school. He came exploding through the front door and wrapped me up in his arms, kissing me soundly. "Oh, my sweet girl, I hated leaving you in bed all alone this morning."

"I wasn't quite alone," I mumbled. He looked at me strangely. "Alice, can you take EJ for a walk?"

"Sure, Bella." She danced over to EJ, causing him to squeal with excitement.

I smiled, watching my baby go out the door with his aunt. I pulled Edward to the couch and had him sit down. I was trying to pull words together to tell Edward I was pregnant, but nothing sounded right.

I finally blurted out, "My dress didn't fit." He looked at me confused. "My wedding dress, when I was trying it on yesterday morning, it didn't fit me."

"I'm sorry, baby; we can get you a new one."

He didn't seem to be getting it.

I shook my head at him. "I've put on weight, Edward."

"Well, we've had a couple of stressful months; a lot's been going on. I didn't even notice it, honey. You know I still think you're the most beautiful girl in the world. This is nothing to be upset about."

"NO, Edward, that's not…Carlisle…"

"What about Carlisle?" he snapped.

I rolled my eyes. "He gave me a shot."

"Of what? You know you shouldn't drink when you're breastfeeding. I can't believe..."

"Edward," I cut him off, "I wasn't drinking. He gave me the shot back in February when I was in the hospital."

He looked at me confused. "Why are we talking about this?"

"It was an antibiotic shot." I waited to see if it would sink in, but he wasn't making the connection. "I'm pregnant, Edward."

His eyes immediately darted to my stomach. "Are you sure?"

"I took a test and it came back positive."

"How, um, how far along are you?"

"I don't know, I'll have to go to a doctor for that, but I can't be too far along yet," I said snuggling into his arms, needing some reassurance and acceptance.

He squeezed me tighter and kissed my head. "Okay."

I looked up at his face. "Okay? You're okay with this?"

He shrugged then nodded his head yes. "I always wanted to have more kids, not necessarily right now, but we'll make it work. It'll be fine," he said trying to smile, but I could see the worry in his eyes.

"They bought us a house," I blurted out trying to ease the weight he was feeling.

"What?"

"Carlisle and Esme bought us a house in Seattle, it's our engagement present. They also told me our wedding present is covering all our expenses while we're in school."

"Are you okay with that?" he asked hopeful.

"Yeah, I think I am."

He kissed my lips softly, "We can do this, Bella, You're a great mom, and with our family's help, we can do this."

"You're a great daddy, too, Edward, don't ever doubt that."

"Thank you," he said then kissed me again softly. "We can do this," he smiled at me, a little more confident.

"As long as I have you, I can do anything," I whispered against his lips.

He kissed me again, deeper and more urgently. I could feel his love and need for me pulse through my body as my lips worked against his. He was my everything and I knew I could do anything with him by my side.

**A/N: The wedding and honeymoon will be coming up! Thanks for reading and please review!**


	58. Chapter 58

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 58 - Done**

**Edward**

I was freaking out.

I was getting married today.

I wasn't really nervous about getting married per se.

I mean, I knew I wanted to marry Bella. I had never been so sure of anything in my life, but for some reason, that just freaked me out.

I helped her out of bed and watched as she waddled to the bathroom. She was six months pregnant with our daughter.

I had to say watching her body change and grow was pretty amazing. I never missed a doctor's appointment, always jumping at the chance to hear my little girl's heartbeat. Bella teased me, saying our daughter had me wrapped around her little pinky already. I always denied it, but I was sure she was right.

EJ was growing so fast. Whoever said you had to learn to walk before you could run never met my son. He ran full speed everywhere he went. It made me smile. He seemed to enjoy life so much that he would run head first into it with no fear. I wanted to feel that. I was trying to feel that.

The house the Cullen's had bought for us had a huge yard that he ran around in like crazy. We had been moving stuff up there for the past couple of weeks. We planned on moving into it after our honeymoon. It was beautiful and even had a generously-sized guest house for Alice in the back. Well, it was called a guest house, but really, it was more like a regular house. It had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an office, plus a really nice kitchen and large family areas. Alice loved it.

Bella thought it was all too much, but that was only because she didn't know I had told the Cullen's that I wanted a big family. By the way things were going, it looked like I was going to get it. I would have that five-bedroom house filled in no time.

Bella was due in November so she decided to take the next year off from school, making things a bit easier on us that first year since she would be able to stay home with the kids. The year after that, we planned on working our school schedules so we that we wouldn't have to get a sitter. Between Bella, Alice, and me, we were pretty sure we could work it so that one of us was always available to watch the kids. That was the plan, anyway. I just hoped it worked.

I followed my girl into the bathroom and found her naked, looking at her belly in the mirror. I knew she had been feeling insecure about being so round, not thinking she was beautiful and feeling fat for her own wedding, but to me she had never looked more wonderful and I did my best to reassure her.

I kicked off my boxers because there was no way I was letting her pout about her body today, not when she was the most beautiful creature in the world. I walked up behind her, pulling her back against my chest and wrapping my arms under her belly.

"Look at this, do you see how amazing you are? You're carrying my baby. That's a little bit of me in there, my cock planted that seed and your body is growing it in the most wonderful way, Bella, you're so beautiful. You're mine, I've claimed you and here's the proof, my baby in here." I fingered her lightly while I kissed her neck. She had to understand that she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

She moaned softly.

"You're mine," I growled, "You can't deny it and I love it. Look at your gorgeous belly, screaming that you're taken, that you're mine."

I made sure she felt my hard cock against her back as I worked her.

"Edward, please," she begged, "Show me."

I knew exactly what she wanted.

I carried her to the bed because I wanted her to be comfortable. I kissed her lips softly, letting her know I truly did worship her. She had to know she was my everything and she was the most beautiful thing in the world.

I worshiped her body, paying special homage to her cute little belly before I worked my way all the way down. I gently worked her over, making her cum and enjoying the flush on her cheeks.

I set her crossed ankles on one shoulder as I gently pushed into her. I worked her with one hand as I moved inside of her, claiming her again. "You're mine. This is mine," I growled with my hand on her belly. "I love that I did this to you." I pushed into her a little faster and I could tell she wanted to meet me, but her little tummy muscles were too busy holding my baby to listen to her want.

I grabbed her ass and helped her meet me as I thrust into her. She was so tight it was hard to hold on. She must have read my mind because she reached down between her legs and helped herself over the edge. "Let go, my beautiful boy. Fill me with your seed again."

Her words set me off, causing me to shove extra deep, moaning she was mine as I released. I pulled her into my arms, her back against my front, and traced shapes over her belly.

"I love this," I spoke of her tummy.

She kissed my cheek and smiled as she grabbed my ass. "I love this, so I guess we're even."

I couldn't help but laugh and my girl smacked my ass and told me we had to get up and get showered because she was sure Alice would be exploding through the door any minute and she wanted to play with me in the shower before she had to leave me.

Did I mention my girl was perfect?

**Bella**

I was a fat cow.

I was at that stage of pregnancy where you received several unsure looks as people tried to figure out if you were fat or pregnant. I wanted to wear a sign that said "_**G**__**rowing Edward's baby here, stop looking at me, and don't you dare ogle him, either, he's mine.**_ I knew that was kind of a long statement, but my stomach was getting big enough to hold it all.

Of course, Edward swooped in and got rid of my pouty face, making me feel amazing. He always knew just what I needed. I didn't know how, but I suspected he and Alice silently conspired sometimes to make sure I had everything I needed. It was kind of awesome that there was someone whispering in my boy's ear that I needed something and he gave it without hesitation, instead of sitting back wondering what was wrong with my moody ass.

I had really grown to love Alice. I was nervous when she moved in with us, but the way she weaved herself into our lives so perfectly and showed her love for me so completely made me sad to think that one day she would go away.

I knew for a fact that Jasper had a ring for her. I didn't know how Edward would handle his sister getting engaged. I just hoped they lived in the guest house after they were married. I really didn't want them to go away.

Esme, Alice, and my mother danced around me at the Cullen home, getting me ready for my wedding. I should have been nervous, and I was this morning, but Edward calmed my fears like he always did and now I sat anxiously, wishing time would hurry so we could be married already. I couldn't wait. I loved him more than anything and was completely sure this was the best day of my life.

Charlie knocked nervously on the door then smiled when he saw me. I ran to my daddy's arms and kissed his cheek. I loved him so much for always being supportive of me, even through all my mistakes.

"You're an angel, Bells," he whispered in my ear just before he led me down the aisle to my forever.

The ceremony was short and sweet because Edward didn't want me on my feet too long. I thought he was just being silly, but after five minutes in those heels Alice had put on me, I was suddenly grateful for his overprotectiveness.

There was a bench for us to sit on so people could greet us and wish us well. George and Gretchen had flown out for the wedding and it was great to see them again. Carlisle and Esme were sitting on either side of Edward's father during the ceremony and brought him through the line. He actually smiled and hugged us both. He looked like he was sincerely happy for us and I was grateful for that. He and Edward had talked and worked out their differences, and he finally realized how much we loved each other and were determined to be together.

To my surprise, Jake and Mr. Black came. I had invited them, but I was sure they wouldn't come, wanting to avoid my Police Chief father.

Jake shook my hand and I stood up and hugged him. He ran his hand over my belly and smiled at his dad. "See, Dad, you can find a girl with your dick instead of your heart."

I punched his shoulder and Edward laughed, shaking his head. "No, she took my heart long before my dick was anywhere near her." He pulled me into his arms and kissed my lips softly.

"Bella," Mr. Black greeted, "Thanks for setting an example for my boy." He turned to Jake, "See that sparkle he has in his eyes, boy?" he pointed to Edward, "That's what I want for you."

I hugged Mr. Black, taking him by surprise, but he hugged me back. "Enjoy him while you have him, Bella, because you never know when God may call him home and leave you alone."

I saw a tear in Mr. Black's eyes and squeezed him tighter. "I will, I promise, I will."

**Edward**

My girl was amazing.

There was just something about her that pulled the best out of people. I had always known this, but as I watched her hug a drug lord that was tearing up, I knew I was right. My Bella was a saint. It was impossible not to let her into your heart when you met her.

I was sure if we had lived in ancient times, people would have built statues of her and worshiped her. She was the goddess of love and acceptance and she was mine.

When we arrived at the little secluded cabin that was our honeymoon suite, I carried her over the threshold and strait into the bedroom.

She smiled lazily up at me. I knew she was exhausted. Alice was constantly rambling off facts about how Bella's body was working as hard as a mountain climber, even though she was completely still. I could see the weight of the imaginary mountain she climbed today resting in her limbs.

I undressed her and tucked her into bed. She would rest tonight and I would worship her tomorrow. She was my beautiful pregnant goddess and I would be sure she didn't doubt that by the time our honeymoon was over.

**A/N: As always, thanks for reading and please review because it makes me giddy!**


	59. Chapter 59

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 59 – Freaking out**

**Bella**

I was freaking out. God help me, but I remembered how much it hurt to push a baby out and I suddenly changed my mind and really didn't want to do it.

"I can't do this. Please don't make me do this," I begged Edward.

He tried to calm me, but it wasn't working. The idiot didn't realize what I was about to go through. Stupid naive boy had never been in labor before. It hurt like fucking hell and I didn't want to do it anymore!

"Come on, honey, we need to go," he said trying to pull me away from Thanksgiving dinner. We had driven down to Forks to spend it with our families. They were all watching me and I wanted beat the shit out of Carlisle because he was the one that told Edward I was in labor. He was timing my cringes and I was hoping he was going to keep his mouth shut, but NOOOO, as soon as they hit five minutes apart, he dropped the bomb and everyone was in a tizzy trying to get me to the hospital.

"I don't want to do this! You can't make me!" I screamed.

Edward looked panicked and then my dad, _the traitor,_ scooped me up into his arms and carried me out to his squad car with Edward on his heels. He put me in the back seat so it was impossible to escape the damn thing.

I hoped my water broke on his upholstery!

**Edward**

Bella was in labor and completely freaking out. Carlisle and Esme both assured me it was a completely normal reaction, but it was scaring the hell out of me. She wasn't letting anyone near her, so Charlie snuck up on her, picking her up and taking her to his squad car. I freaked a little when she lunged for the opposite door, but I was relieved when she was trapped back there.

My heart broke as she burst into tears, begging me to not make her do this, that it hurt so much and to please not do this to her. I looked to Charlie in the front seat and I could see tears in his eyes. We both loved her and God help us we wanted to give her what she wanted, but that was impossible now.

She was in hysterics when we pulled up to the hospital. "Please, please, no!" she begged.

I carried her into the hospital. She wasn't fighting as hard anymore. They were ready for us. I knew Carlisle must have let them know we were coming.

"Get her something for the pain now!" Charlie barked, making the nurse jump.

Dr. Cooper hurried in with another man on his tail. "This is Dr. Jackson; he's here to give you an epidural."

Bella thanked him profusely and so did I. Charlie sat back, a little relieved, but he had to jump forward and catch me when I saw the size of the needle they were going to put into Bella's spine and I nearly passed out.

"Jesus, Charlie, how can they do that to her?" I whispered and he just hugged me tighter.

"She's going to be okay, Son, you'll see."

He was right.

She settled down as soon as the medicine kicked in and then Dr. Cooper asked to examine her. He explained to me that it wasn't protocol to administer an epidural before checking the mother, but Carlisle had strongly suggested it.

I thanked him for doing it.

My girl was settled down and Dr. Cooper announced that she was dilated to seven centimeters and doing good. I was confused when he left after he announced it.

Didn't he need to be here?

Who was supposed to catch the baby?

I had taken a class with Bella, but I was not confident in my baby-catching skills.

"Why is he leaving? He can't leave; he just said the baby was coming. He can't leave!" I panicked.

Charlie put his hand on my shoulder and pointed to the machines. "They'll know when it's time, Son. Don't worry; he'll be back for the important part."

I nodded okay, trying to settle myself down so I could be there for Bella. I walked over, kissing her forehead and taking her hand. "I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry."

Her labor progressed quickly and before I knew it, I was helping Bella sit forward as I helped her bring our daughter into the world.

Dr. Cooper held up my daughter. She was so impossibly tiny. I worried that she was too small, but the nurse coaxed me over, smiling as the doctor handed me some snips to cut her cord.

Her little body squirmed as she squealed and cried.

The nurse rushed forward, taking her from the doctor as EJ's pediatrician came in and started looking over his newest patient.

She scored an eight on the Apgar scale, whatever the hell that was, and the nurse told me she weighted seven pounds eight ounces. She was absolutely tiny, but the nurses assured me that she was a good weight and very normal.

Bella took the tiny girl in her arms and kissed her peach-fuzz head.

"She's okay, right?" I asked the doctors.

They both smiled proudly. "They're both going to be fine, Mr. Cullen. Your wife did wonderfully."

The nurse asked Bella if she had a name for our daughter.

"Elizabeth," she said instantly.

I had been so busy with school I hadn't realized we hadn't settled on a name, but when she said my mother's name, my heart swelled.

"Is that alright with you, honey?" Bella asked me and I kissed her and nodded yes, too choked up to speak.

Again, my beautiful Bella proved she was perfect for me. It amazed me so much how easy it was to love her more every day. As I stood there in the hospital room with her and my daughter, I realized that she had given me so much and I wanted to spend the rest of my life giving her everything I had.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!**


	60. Chapter 60

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 60 – Wake-up Call**

**Bella**

Being at home with our newborn daughter and an eighteen month old toddler was much harder than I thought it would be. Being a stay at home mom sounded good in theory, but like all theories, this one was shot to hell.

I was utterly exhausted. Lizzy was breastfeeding constantly and didn't want me to put her down. She wasn't fond of sleeping, either, only napping for a few minutes and then she was awake the rest of the time, demanding my attention. I was lucky if she slept more than an hour at a time at night. She had gotten a cold and was miserable, her poor little nose stuffed up. Between that and colic, she was one unhappy baby.

EJ was into everything and had taken up climbing. For an eighteen-month old, he was pretty smart, too smart. I just knew he was going to break his neck one of these days. Nothing was safe from him, and he found great delight in learning how to bypass every childproofing device we had employed. Not to mention he was working on his throwing arm and his artistic skills with any substance he could get his hands on. Thank god for Goo Gone and bleach wipes.

Edward and Alice had started the spring semester of college and were focused on their classwork, as they should have been, and they were both busy getting involved in campus activities. I didn't want to disrupt them by asking for help. I mean I was the mom; I should have been able to handle everything, right?

I really just needed some sleep.

I put the TV on one of EJ's favorite shows and sat down in the recliner to feed Lizzy yet again. I was exhausted and hadn't had a proper bath in days. Edward and I had hardly been anywhere near each other because I was always up with the baby or he was gone to Alice's to study, so I doubted that he even noticed. Right now, I was so tired that even smelling my own stink didn't faze me. It wasn't like I could do anything about it anyway with two babies to tend to. I got my nursing pillow and settled in, getting Lizzy latched on and leaned back to nurse.

Next thing I knew, Edward was swearing up a storm. I jumped up, clinging to the baby who was finally asleep on my chest. I must have dozed off because it was much darker outside than it was a few minutes ago.

I looked around and groaned.

There was a poopy diaper on the floor and what I was pretty sure was ketchup all over the walls. I made my way to the kitchen to find the eggs all broken on the floor and most of the refrigerator's contents were taken out and spread across the kitchen floor. Raspberry jam decorated all the appliances and there was a package of half-eaten hot dogs on a chair, which would explain the ketchup finger painting. EJ must have gotten hungry after I dozed off and decided to help himself to a snack.

"What the hell, Bella?" Edward shouted as he slipped on broken eggs. My eyes darted around looking for where EJ was. I heard faint crying and followed it, only to be stopped by my locked bedroom door.

"Edward, help me get the door open!" I snapped at him. He just kicked it open, not even bothering to look for a key.

Stupid idiot.

I hurried in to find EJ sitting on top of our tall upright dresser crying. Edward rushed forward, taking him off the dresser. He was covered in my sparkly body powder. Once Edward took him in his arms, he quickly held him away from him because he was naked and covered in poop. There were candy wrappers all over the top of the dresser and EJ's mouth was covered in chocolate. Looked like he had found his father's stash of Hershey bars, the little monkey.

Surely I couldn't have been asleep that long, could I?

**Edward**

The house was a fucking mess. I didn't know what the hell Bella did all day, but this place was fucking destroyed. She came hurrying in looking like hell and smelling worse, and then she quickly disappeared down the hall where she called to me to open the door. Our son was locked in our fucking room screaming and I wondered how long he had been in there alone because she obviously wasn't watching him. I kicked the door open and found EJ crying on our dresser, covered in shit. I was so fucking furious, not at him, but at Bella. What the hell was she doing? Our son could have been seriously hurt.

I pulled out my phone and called for Alice to come get the kids now. She could tell by my tone of voice not to argue with me. She came running into our room and stopped, staring in shock at EJ's appearance. "What is that all over him?"

"Chocolate and sparkly body powder," Bella answered picking up a wrapper from the dresser, "But his bum is poopy." She passed Lizzy to Alice and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around my son's naked body.

I took EJ from Bella and told Alice to come with me. She followed without question, carrying little Lizzy out to her place. I asked her to clean them up and keep an eye on them while I talked to Bella. I tried to cool myself down, but there was absolutely no excuse for this. She was a stay at home mom, it was her job to take care of the kids and she obviously was not doing that. I marched back into my house to find her in the kitchen on her hands and knees, cleaning up the mess EJ had made.

"What the hell happened, Bella? What were you doing, and why was EJ left on his own? You're fucking lucky that the dresser didn't tip over and kill him. What the fuck would you say to me then? 'Sorry I fucking killed your son, but I was too fucking busy to give a shit and see what the fuck he was doing?'"

She threw the broom she was using at me and stormed out. I followed her. She had slammed the bedroom door, but the frame was broken from where I had kicked it open to save our son. She grabbed a bag and started shoving some stuff into it.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I asked her as she came out of the bathroom with an arm full of toiletries.

"I'm getting the fuck out of your way so you can find someone who can handle your kids!" She shoved passed me and stormed out the front door, slamming it behind her. I opened it just in time to see her speed off out of the driveway.

What the fuck had just happened?

**A/N: What? You thought life would be perfect for them? Hell no, welcome to reality. Children are lots of hard, exhausting work. Shit happens. All mothers have cleaned it off the walls at some point. It's just part of being a parent and it's time Edward grew up and saw that.**


	61. Chapter 61

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 61 – Hell on knees**

**Bella**

I couldn't believe him. I couldn't fucking believe him! What did he think I did all day?

I changed diapers and made snack after snack and breastfed until it felt like my nipples were going to fall off. I didn't have time to shower, let alone sleep.

I stomped up to our old house in Forks, thankful that we still had access to it for when we came home to visit. I unlocked the door and made my way inside, dropping my bag. My breasts were starting to ache and I was glad I had brought my breast pump. I sat down and turned my cell phone back on. I had twenty voicemails. I didn't bother to listen to any of them. I pumped my breasts and put the milk in the freezer. I would have to see if someone could run it up to Edward in Seattle for Lizzy tomorrow. I figured I had left enough milk frozen at home to keep her happy until then.

I crashed on the bed and got my first full night of sleep in months.

**Edward**

Gone!

She was fucking GONE!

She wasn't answering her cell and it wasn't long after she had left that Alice returned, telling me Lizzy was hungry.

What the fuck was I supposed to do? I didn't have boobs. How could she leave us like this?

I finally broke down and called Esme upset, telling her all the shit that had happened since I had come home. She didn't sound upset, just told me to check the freezer for milk and to let Bella take a break.

"Take a break? Why does she need a fucking break?"

"Edward, when was the last time you saw Bella asleep?" Esme asked me.

I suddenly felt like an ass. I hadn't seen her asleep for a while, she was always up at night with the baby or busy doing housework. "I don't know, but I'm gone all day at school and then over at Alice's afterward to study, so she probably sleeps then," I defended weakly.

"Edward, I think it's time you give her a few days off. Have Alice record your lectures for you and put yourself in Bella's shoes. The poor girl probably just needs some rest. I'll see if I can find her. Now, was there breast milk in the freezer?"

I looked at the frozen jar of milk scowling. "Yes."

"Get a pan of water heating and thaw it out. Make sure it's not too hot. I'm sure you have a bottle there somewhere to put the milk in, and if not, you can always send Alice out for one."

This was not what had I wanted to hear. I wanted her to tell me I was right and Bella was wrong and that she would come and stay with the kids while I hunted down my wife and brought her home. That was what I had wanted to happen, but that was not what was going to happen.

Frustrated, I started looking for a bottle for Lizzy.

Alice came in with a pajama-clad EJ. "He says he's hungry."

His little green eyes looked around and he asked for mama. Fuck. "Can you make him a sandwich or something?"

Alice looked at my kitchen and cringed. I should have waited until after Bella was done cleaning before I went off on her. How was I supposed to clean up this mess and get the kids into bed?

Alice carefully stepped around the egg mess, telling EJ to sit at the table. He climbed on a chair and his little chin barely reached the table's edge.

"You don't have any sandwich stuff," Alice informed me looking in the refrigerator.

"Well, what do we have?"

"Um, it looks like she has a chicken thawed out."

I looked at the time. I didn't think we would have time to make that. "Just check the pantry for something."

Alice's cell phone rang as she stepped into the pantry, mumbling her conversation. "I found a can of Spaghetti-O's," she came out waving it proudly, "Look, I have to go, but you can handle making a can of food for EJ, right?"

I wanted to tell her no, but she slipped out the door before I could, leaving me alone with my kids for the first time ever. I was feeling a little panicked. The water had started to boil, so I dropped the glass jar of breast milk into the water, but then I heard a crack. I looked closer and saw that the little jar was cracked. I put the baby in the car seat and she started screaming immediately.

I took the pan off, dumping the water out into the sink and the jar crashed into the sink shattering, leaving a frozen lump of breast milk. I didn't know what I was supposed to do, but I only had a little milk and I didn't want to waste it. I turned the water on and carefully picked up the lump and started rinsing it off. Once I was sure that there was no glass in it, it was only half the size it originally was and I put it in the one bottle I had found. I rinsed out the pan I had used before and decided to try this again.

The baby was screaming the whole time and EJ decided to come see what I was doing and slipped in the egg mess, bonking his head and covering himself in goo, adding his cries to the cacophony his sister already had going on. I tried to wipe him off as best I could and sent him back to the table to wait for his food.

I found the can opener and quickly dumped the contents into a bowl and microwaved it for two minutes. Little Lizzy was starting to sound hoarse from screaming so much. I grabbed her bottle and shook it up, hoping to melt the last of the milk and it started spouting all over my disastrous kitchen. I tipped the bottle on my wrist and it burned the shit out of me so I put it in the freezer so it would cool quickly.

I turned around and EJ was sitting on the table, covering it with the egg goo that was all over his butt. I yelled at him to get off the table and he stood up and acted like he was going to jump, so I ran over, sliding across the kitchen just in time to catch him.

Now both of my hands were covered in egg goo. I spotted his highchair in the corner and quickly put him in it, strapping him in tightly, goo and all.

I washed my hands and arms, and then I grabbed the bottle out of the freezer and tried it. It felt like it was the right temperature so I took it over to Lizzy, only to have EJ start crying again.

How the fuck did she do this?

I put Lizzy down and grabbed the bowl out of the microwave, burning my hand because it was fucking hot. I had only put it in for two minutes. It had exploded all over the damn microwave, making a huge fucking mess because god forbid anything go right tonight. I quickly put the bowl into the freezer to the chorus of screaming children.

I picked up Lizzy and put the bottle in her mouth. She didn't want to take it at first, but once she tasted what was in it, she started to guzzle it down.

EJ was banging loudly on his tray and with each bang, little Lizzy would jump. I yelled at him to stop, but then he just started crying for his mommy.

I propped the bottle under my chin and grabbed the cooled Spaghetti-O's out of the freezer for EJ.

As soon as I set the bowl on his tray, he grabbed it and dumped it, then grabbed a handful and shoved it into his mouth. I was too tired to even care at this point. He was going to need another bath as it was.

I sat down at the table and fed the baby the rest of her bottle. I put her on my shoulder and burped her, thinking I was done, but of course I wasn't. After she spit up half the milk she had just drank down my back, she loaded her diaper, causing it to leak down her legs and all over me.

I took Lizzy to get cleaned up, thinking EJ was fine contained in his high chair. I took advantage of the moment, cleaning her up and dressing her for bed. I laid her in her crib and she started screaming, so I picked her up and went to go check on EJ.

I was wrong when I thought he couldn't do any damage in his chair. Apparently, once he was full, he started flinging Spaghetti-O's all over the kitchen after he had rubbed them in his hair and all over his face.

When I walked in, he slung a big spoonful at me, hitting me in the face and a glob of it hit Lizzy, sticking her hair and setting her off screaming again. The spoon slipped out of his hand, ricocheting off the edge of his tray and back up smacking him in the chin, causing him to start wailing. To top it all off, the sticky pasta goop on my face dripped down onto Lizzy's fresh jammies, smearing all over her as she flailed and wailed.

I couldn't catch a fucking break with a net.

**A/N Yes, it was time Edward was taught an important lesson. Thanks for reading and please review!**


	62. Chapter 62

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 62 – Hard Lesson**

**Bella**

I slept all night.

I had gotten a full night of sleep for the first time in I couldn't remember how long. I went a whole night without interruption. Yeah, no matter how I said it, it just sounded so unbelievable, and the fact that I was climbing into the shower alone with no one screaming or banging on the door was just amazing.

I took my time in the shower, savoring the warm spray. I washed my hair, actually taking the time to condition it, and I shaved; something I hadn't been able to do in a few of months. Geez, Chewbacca had nothing on me.

The warm water caused my milk to let down, so when I hopped out, I grabbed a couple of clean washcloths and held them to my breasts so I could make it to the breast pump without leaking everywhere.

I pumped out three bottles easily. Lizzy usually nursed multiple times a night so I was definitely overly full when I woke up. I had already pumped out one bottle before I hopped in the shower, hoping that would hold them off, but no such luck.

Now that my breasts were back to their normal size, I put all the milk in the freezer and then looked for a cooler in the garage.

Esme called and I debated not answering it, but I figured she may not have known what was going on.

"Bella, dear, how are you doing this morning?"

"Good, actually, I'm feeling really good," I said cheerfully.

"Excellent. I spoke with Edward and Alice last night. I was going to see if you needed me to run some milk up for the baby." She sounded happy and helpful.

"Um, yeah, that would be great actually." I was kind of shocked that she was being so nice about this.

"Good. I've told Alice to stay away from Edward so he can experience taking care of the children on his own. Being a mother is very difficult and when he told me what happened, I told him to let you have a break. We moms have to stick together. That boy needs to learn to appreciate all the work you do."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I started tearing up. "Thank you, Esme, and I really did need a break. It was so wonderful to actually sleep through the night and then take a shower uninterrupted. I shaved!"

I heard her giggle. "Wonderful, dear, I'm so glad to hear it. You just relax. I'll make sure Elizabeth gets her milk and Edward will see what a jerk he was and come begging for forgiveness."

I stretched, feeling relieved. "You know what would be really fun right now? Walking through a store and not having anything knocked off the shelves."

"You know, dear, we could go up to Seattle together, do some shopping, take in a show. That way you can pump again before we come home this evening. I plan on dropping off the milk and then being absolutely no help to Edward whatsoever. That boy needs to learn how tough it is to take care of a baby, and you, my dear, have two. Honestly, sweetheart, I don't know how you survived this long without a break. You must be a superwoman or something."

I felt a whole lot better knowing I had Esme's support. I packed the cooler and we headed off to Seattle for a day out, child free. It was freaking awesome. We saw a movie and we ate all of our meal without little people interrupting us.

I did feel my resolve weakening, though. I missed my babies, even if they did drive me crazy. Esme offered to leave me at a shop to browse while she dropped off the milk, but I told her I wanted to come.

When we got there, EJ was asleep on the floor in front of the TV in just a diaper. Edward was asleep on the couch and Elizabeth was just starting to wake up on his chest. I picked her up and she went straight for my breast. I let Esme know I was going to nurse her while she put the milk in the refrigerator for Edward to use later.

I took her to our room and sat in the rocking chair I spent most of my nights in and fed her. She ate like she had been starving and clung to me for dear life. I was so tempted to take my baby with me.

I walked into the kitchen to see that it was even more of a disaster than when I had left.

I shook my head.

I didn't see any evidence that Edward had even attempted to clean up, leaving dirty dishes and mess piled everywhere.

I looked at the time and noticed the chicken was still in the refrigerator. It needed to be put in the oven now. I didn't want it to go bad, so I pulled out my roasting pan and gathered the seasoning.

Esme came over to see what I was doing.

"I don't want the chicken to go bad. He has to eat it tonight or it will."

She took Lizzy from me and I made quick work of putting the chicken in the oven, along with some potatoes and a green bean casserole. Once done with that, I cleaned up the floor and countertops. I cleaned up most the mess, but not all of it. He needed to at least try and clean with the kids so he could see what I went through.

I got Lizzy to sleep and secured her in the middle of my bed with pillows under the covers surrounding her because she slept so much better in my bed than in her crib. When I walked out, I saw EJ stirring and I knew he would wake up soon. I leaned down and kissed his little head. I walked to the door where Esme was waiting and whispered good luck to Edward before I left.

He was going to need it.

**Edward**

I woke up to something smelly on my face. I pulled it off only to find it was wet, sticky, and mushy.

Ugh, it was a fucking dirty diaper!

EJ had taken to removing the damn things every chance he got. I pulled it off my face and went looking for the little monster. I found him in the pantry covered in peanut butter.

I headed into his bathroom with him when I noticed the baby tub.

"THE BABY!"

I ran back to the couch, ripping off the cushions trying to find her.

She was gone!

Oh, my god! I had lost my baby!

I looked behind the couch and under it. EJ was just jumping on the dislodged cushions now, completely oblivious to the fact that his sister was missing. I called Alice frantic, but she didn't answer. I looked at the time, realizing she was in a fucking class. I called the police because a newborn baby didn't just up and walk away!

They asked me if I had checked every room in the house which just pissed me the fuck off. I mean she was only eight weeks old; she didn't crawl or walk! Hell, she wasn't even rolling over yet! Still, they made me check all the rooms before they would send someone out. I slammed open EJ's door and the nursery door, but she was not there. I knew she wouldn't be.

I opened my bedroom door and was about ready to yell at the lady to get a fucking cop out here when I saw a little pink ball curled up in the middle of my bed surrounded by pillows.

"I found her," I breathed with such relief. The operator asked me if she was okay. I told her she was fine, just sleeping on the bed.

I hung up the phone and burst into tears. I climbed on my bed and pulled her to me. She squirmed and started to wake, rooting against my chest for something I didn't have to give her. I was just so relieved she was fine. I kissed her little head and held her to me.

I heard EJ laughing somewhere in the house and decided I had better go find him. I realized that now that there was peanut butter all down the hallway. I found my son buck naked, sliding across the kitchen floor in jelly. I stood there surprised. I thought jelly was supposed to be sticky. I noticed the oven was on and freaked out a little, wondering what the hell my son had put in the oven. I glanced inside real quick and was surprised to find the chicken, some potatoes, and a casserole baking. It looked and smelled really good. It was a whole fucking dinner and suddenly I was starving.

I looked around the kitchen and noticed someone had wiped down the counters and cleaned the floor because there was only peanut butter and jelly on it now. I opened the refrigerator to find several bottles of breast milk ready and waiting for Lizzy, and the last two jars of frozen milk had been taken out of the freezer and set in the refrigerator to thaw as well. I looked at the amount of milk left for her and wondered just how long Bella planned on being gone. There was more than a day's worth there.

I called Esme to thank her for making dinner and cleaning the kitchen. She shocked me when she told me that Bella was the one who had done that and that she also took the baby for me so I could sleep longer, a courtesy that I had not provided her since Lizzy had been born.

Bella had checked into a resort on the outskirts of town and would make sure I had enough milk for Lizzy, but she was not coming back for a while. I had hurt her and she wasn't in any hurry to come back to me and my neglectful ways. Esme told me now would be a good time to invest in some knee pads and start begging.

I didn't find her sense of humor funny.

**A/N: Isn't Bella sweet, even when Edward is being a jerk? You've just got to love her. Thanks for reading and please review!**


	63. Chapter 63

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**I just have to say I love all of your reviews and I totally laugh at the ones where they think I'm exaggerating EJ's behavior. It's based on my own kid's shenanigans. Just sayin'. Of course, my favorites are the ones where you tell me I hit the nail on the head when it comes to his behavior. Stay at home moms ROCK! This chappy is for you!**

**Chapter 63 – Humble Pie**

**Edward**

I decided not to wash EJ up until after I had fed him dinner. I always wondered why he was such a mess at the dinner table, only hands and face clean, but now I saw why.

The food was delicious and I felt like an even bigger ass as I ate, sitting across from my son whose hair was sticking up in all directions because of his peanut butter hair gel.

I ate with Lizzy on my lap, holding the bottle with one hand. I remembered seeing Bella do this and was trying to pull off the same move. I think she had the advantage since her bottles were attached to her chest.

Lizzy kept reaching for my plate and fork as I tried and eat. I got the feeling she didn't like the fact that my full attention was not on her while I was feeding her, but I was fucking starving. I scooted my plate further away and ended up dripping gravy and shit on me and Lizzy. I looked up to see EJ was sporting a gravy face mask. Yeah, I didn't give a fuck anymore. I just told him to eat his food.

I found out later that night that peanut butter was fucking hard to get out of hair. I had to wash his head five times before it looked okay. He still smelled like peanut butter, though.

Hopefully, Bella found this endearing.

I got EJ dressed and in bed. I felt bad that little Lizzy had cried so much that her little voice was hoarse again. I just had to put her down a few minutes to take care of her brother. You would think she would be more understanding.

I realized I was overtired and getting frustrated that a tiny baby was not being understanding. I was going fucking nuts!

Once I had EJ confined to his room, I took my time with little Lizzy, trying to make up for making her cry as I took care of EJ. That boy needed a fucking zoo cage.

I washed her up, telling her I was sorry for being a jerk to her mommy and apologized for making her wait for me to clean the gravy off of her that I had dripped on her. She seemed to be settling down good.

I put a bath toy in her hand and she swung it around and smacked herself in the face with it. I pulled her hand down and kissed her nose better. She grabbed a handful of beard I didn't even realize I was sporting.

I guess it has been a few days since I had shaved. She yanked on it happily while she kicked and splashed water on me, but she was so damn cute I couldn't seem to care. I just smiled and tickled her tummy with my whiskers.

I got my daughter ready for bed and fed her a bottle. I remembered rolling over at night and seeing Bella in the rocking chair so I gave it a try in hopes that Lizzy would actually let me sleep tonight.

She fussed a little as I fed her, but settled down when I started to hum to her. I finally got her to sleep and decided to keep her in my bed since she actually seemed to sleep on her own there earlier today.

I laid her down on Bella's side and I was so exhausted I decided forgo the shower one more day just to crash. I decided I would clean house in the morning.

When I slipped into bed, little Lizzy's body ended up sliding into my side. I hooked my arm around her so I could know where she was in the bed. I realized when she woke me up two hours later that my sleep hadn't been very restful with her sleeping there.

I took her with me to get her bottle. She sucked it down and went back to sleep after a diaper change, a good burp, and some more humming.

I did this four times over the course of the night and felt even more exhausted when I woke up in the morning. I was surprised to see it was almost nine o'clock. It seemed little Lizzy had done a rare thing and slept in for me and I was thrilled.

I kissed her little head gently before I went check on EJ. When I opened his door, I was shocked by what I found. His toy box was completely emptied and turned over. His clothes were all pulled out of the drawers and closet. I would have panicked when I saw him sprawled across the mound from the closet except that there was a loud snoring emanating from the little monster. I guess he had worn himself out destroying his room.

I didn't know he could get out of his crib.

I moved to the kitchen to find some coffee and make breakfast. I realized now that Bella was always up at this time every morning, usually feeding EJ and me. She always had coffee waiting for me as she kissed me. I looked around the kitchen and realized she usually had it clean and decided to give it a go while the kids were sleeping and my coffee was brewing.

I got the kitchen cleaned and some toast made for myself when EJ emerged. He didn't notice me at first and went straight for the pantry. I had moved the peanut butter to the top shelf and silently thought '_HA! Try and get it now, sucker!_' while I sipped my coffee, watching my busy-bodied son. I saw him notice the peanut butter on the top shelf and thought that would be it. I took a bite of my toast and when I looked up, I saw EJ on the top shelf.

How the hell did he get up there so fast?

He was sitting up there, teetering on the edge. I ran and pulled him out of the pantry, amazed that I had gotten there in time and he didn't break his neck. He was still clutching his peanut butter and so I put some on his bread and he seemed happy as he smeared it around his highchair tray.

Why did I even bother?

I heard Lizzy wake up and grabbed a bottle for her as I rushed to get her. She settled down as soon as I walked in. It made me feel good for some reason, I didn't know why.

I took her out to her peanut butter-covered brother and decided it was time I got my girl some flowers and begged her forgiveness. I had only spent two nights with the kids, but I was ready to collapse.

I sighed and looked up, trying to think of what to say to her when I realized there were Spaghetti-O's on the ceiling.

Nice.

I realized there was also some ketchup up there, too, from the day before that, but the ceiling was relatively clean. Cleaning the ceiling was not something I considered a daily chore, but I realized now it probably was for Bella.

Lizzy's diaper ended up leaking all over the both of us so I changed her and me. I put the peanut butter back on the bottom shelf, realizing that Bella had put it there for a reason.

I cleaned EJ up while I was holding Lizzy in one arm and fighting the peanut butter monster with the other. All three of us were soaked by the end of his bath. I got him dressed, ignoring the disaster in his room and realized there was a reason she had put a lock on the top of the closet. I had thought it was annoying when I had tried to open it. Now I saw it was necessary. I told EJ to come with me while I dressed Lizzy again.

No way was I letting that kid out of my sight.

We all went into my closet so I could change and I saw my girl's clothes hanging out of the side of the hamper. EJ was swinging on the low bar, kicking t-shirts out of his way as he did. I realized I hadn't even tried to do any laundry yet. My girl did so freaking much. I didn't know how she did it all.

As I whipped my shirt off, I realize I stank, but there was no way I was getting into the shower with these two awake. I got dressed and put on an extra layer of deodorant. I looked at my scruffy face and realized as Lizzy yanked my beard that the kids wouldn't let me shave. I let out a sigh and decided to head to the flower shop before we went to the address Esme had given me for the resort.

We pulled up to the flower shop and I walked in, sporting a child on each hip because I didn't want EJ running through the parking lot.

The lady looked at me and smiled. "You need a sorry bouquet, right?"

I just nodded and set EJ down because he was squirming so much that I had him upside at one point. Boy needed to learn to hold still. Of course, once he was down, he had his face smashed up against the glass door holding the flower arrangements, smearing his spit and handprints all over it.

"EJ, don't touch," I yelled at him and the lady looked up and just pointed to some glass wipes. Apparently, that happened a lot. As I was cleaning that off, he took off and mangled a couple of bunches of flowers. I told the lady I would take those, too. She didn't even flinch at the destruction he was wreaking on her store.

She must have had kids, too.

I made it to the counter to pay for the flowers for Bella and the now four bunches EJ had managed to mangle and saw that there was a frame by the register with a picture of four kids in it.

"Four?" I asked her.

"Yes, four."

"No wonder you're so cool-headed."

She just laughed and rang me up. She talked EJ into giving her the four bunches he had attacked and had him help her make a bouquet with the least mangled flowers to give to Bella. She promised him that she would love them.

I hoped she was right.

**Bella**

Wow, two nights of sleep in a row. That had to be some kind of record. I showered again and went down to the restaurant and ate breakfast alone in peace and quiet. I saw a couple cuddling in a corner booth and couldn't help but miss my boy. A family came in to eat as well and I missed my babies.

I finished my meal and went back to my room, hoping to find something to distract me. I was not there long when I heard a knock on the door and wondered who it could be. I opened the door to see a bedraggled Edward holding our baby and a bouquet, yelling at EJ who was running up and down the hall carrying another one.

I burst into tears instantly.

Edward noticed I had opened the door and was crying. He tried to comfort me, squishing Lizzy between us and holding the flowers against my back.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, baby, I swear never ever to yell at you again, I promise. I'll help you. You do so much, it's amazing. You're an amazing mother, baby, please, please come home," he begged.

EJ was still running up and down the hall and the elevator dinged, signaling someone else was coming so I called to EJ to come jump on my bed. He jumped into my arms as soon as he heard my voice call to him and hugged me tightly. He gave me a bouquet with the stems mostly broken and most of the petals missing on the flowers, but it was so beautiful with his bright little smile next to it.

There was no way I could turn my boys down.

**A/N I hope you enjoyed Edward's come to Jesus time so he could appreciate his wife. All hubbies need a little reminding that the job we do may not pay, but it has awesome benefits, if we survive it that is. =)**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	64. Chapter 64

**All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer**

**Chapter 64 – Two Early**

**Bella**

It had been nearly four years since I left Edward alone with the kids for those two days. He was a completely different man when we went home.

I let him nap and shower and he took care of the kids while I cleaned off the kitchen ceiling and hallway walls. I started laundry and cleaned the bathrooms, enjoying the ability to do the jobs without child interruption. I was able to get them done so much faster.

Edward kept his promise and never raised his voice at me again. He went back to Dr. Kate and continued to work on managing his anger, which he had learned over time to control much better, channeling it into constructive energy rather than destroying things or yelling. He made it routine to have Lizzy sit with him while he studied and frequently made dinner for us. He started getting up with Lizzy at night as well, taking the second half of the feedings, giving her a bottle. He seemed to enjoy his quiet time with her.

I rarely had to ask him to watch the kids while I showered and shaved anymore. He would just take the baby from me and nod toward the bathroom, taking over and getting the kids ready for bed. At first, it hurt my feelings, but then as I climbed into bed and he snuggled into me and asked if I felt better, I realized he had sent me off for me, not because I stank. He also suggested a lock for the pantry like the one we had on EJ's closet. I told him he was brilliant.

With his help and support, the kids didn't seem so overwhelming anymore. Over the past four years, my boy had grown up and was now my man, and today he was making me even prouder of him.

Jasper sat down, holding Lizzy on his lap and smiled at EJ, who was bouncing in the seat between us. Charlie had rode with us, driving our van and had dropped us at the front door before going to park so I wouldn't have to walk so far, bless his heart.

"Dad is grajating," EJ told his Uncle Jasper happily.

"I know. It's exciting, isn't it? Your Aunty Alice is graduating, too," he told him. Edward's father was sitting next to Jasper and he grinned proudly. He was doing much better and was able to attend today to see his kids graduating college, Edward with a degree in music education and Alice with a degree in design. I knew it meant everything to both of them to have him here today.

Alice and Edward were sitting next to each other down on the main auditorium level. I saw Edward lean over and put his hand on his sister's stomach. She was due any time now and you could tell by the way Jasper fawned over my kids that he couldn't wait for his son to be born.

I shifted uncomfortably. My back had been hurting all day. I was pregnant with twins and was just coming up on thirty-seven weeks.

I felt like a house.

Edward planned on staying home with me this summer to help out with the kids and start working after the kids started school.

Carlisle and Esme took their seats next to me.

Esme rubbed my belly, causing the kids to kick. I leaned into her because she had become a second mother to me and it was her and Carlisle that had made this possible.

They didn't know it yet, but we planned on naming one of the twins after them.

I shifted in my seat again grimacing and Carlisle kept looking at me funny. He finally asked me how I was feeling today and I told him I was doing good.

I shifted again and rubbed my back a little before I leaned back again, trying to get comfortable. I wished the dean would shut his long-winded trap so I could go lay down. These chairs were not helping my backache.

I noticed Carlisle whisper something to Esme and she put her arm around me, rubbing my back lightly and resting one hand on my tummy. It felt good so I ignored the fact that we were in a stadium full of people and just leaned into her more.

After the ceremony, Carlisle hurried down to the floor, telling us to wait and that he would bring Edward and Alice to where we were sitting. I could tell Jasper was anxious to get to his wife, but he did as he was told.

I watched as Carlisle hugged Alice and then Edward, and suddenly Edward looked up at me panicked. I wondered what was wrong. Carlisle had said something to him and Edward started nodding his head in agreement and then came practically running up to us.

"Hey, honey," he said kissing me and looked at Esme. I saw a twinge of worry in his eyes.

Alice came up and told Jasper that she was just dying to go to this new ice cream shop. Of course, my kids overheard her and started begging to go, too. Alice, the perfect aunty that she was, insisted on taking them and told me to go take a nap with Edward.

I jumped at the chance because I was exhausted, my back was freaking killing me now, and the muscles of my stomach were cramping with the strain of me trying to hold myself in a way that didn't hurt.

Edward put his arm around me and helped me to the car. He told me Carlisle wanted him to grab something really quick at the hospital. Just as we pulled up, my water broke. I looked up and saw Carlisle and Esme with a wheelchair waiting for me.

"Epidural?" Carlisle said smiling, settling my fears a little. I realized now they had known I was in labor the whole time.

Sneaky bastards.

Carlie Esme Cullen and Charles Edward Cullen were born about an hour after we arrived at the hospital. Little Carlie and Charlie were both six pounds three ounces each.

They were tiny but perfect.

**Edward**

I was graduating from college today along with my sister. She and Jazz still lived in the guest house and planned on staying there a while longer and I was happy with that. I loved having them close by and now that my sister was having a baby, it would be great to have my kid's cousin close to play with, too.

I watched Alice's belly shift and smiled knowing my girl's belly was probably doing the same thing. I put my hand on her stomach, feeling my nephew move and Alice held my hand there.

Our lives had changed so much since we had found the Cullen's. They had gone above and beyond to help us get to where we were today. We planned on naming the twins after them, but Alice had a fit and insisted we not use Carlisle, as she planned on naming her son Carlisle Nathan Whitlock after Carlisle and Jasper's father.

Bella, being the amazing woman she was, conceded and decided to name our daughter Carlie Esme after both of them without stealing Alice's son's name. I knew they would be thrilled when they found out.

Carlisle found me down on the floor level after the ceremony and took both Alice and I into his arms, telling us how proud he was of us. I could see there was something more he wanted to tell me and I was right.

"Edward, I don't want you to panic, but Bella's in labor. Her contractions have just accelerated to under five minutes apart and we need to get her to the hospital quickly."

"But she's not due yet." I was trying not to freak out.

"It's not uncommon for twins to come early, Edward. Thirty-seven weeks is plenty enough time for them to be born healthy. There's nothing to worry about, they'll be fine. We just need to get her to the hospital and I'm worried it'll be difficult without Chief Swan's cruiser here to help us keep her contained like last time."

I remembered clearly the emotional breakdown my girl had the last time she went into labor. We had to get her there without making it obvious what was going on.

Alice piped in. "I'll take the kids for you, Edward."

"How are you going to take them without her getting suspicious?"

She tapped her chin and then smiled. "Ice cream."

I had no idea what she meant by that, but she seemed sure it would work. Carlisle told me he would meet us at the hospital and I wondered how far we would get before Bella realized what was going on.

She noticed we missed the turn to the house and I watched her shift in her seat uncomfortably again. I lied and told her I was picking something up from Carlisle at the hospital.

Just as I put the car in park, her water broke.

So much for my upholstery.

She looked up at me wide-eyed and her eyes darted to Carlisle as he opened her door and Esme pushed a wheelchair forward.

"Epidural?" was all he said and my girl seemed to settle down a little.

She fell asleep shortly after getting the epidural, only to be woken up thirty minutes later. Our babies were coming fast. Bella pushed like a champ and it didn't take long for our children to be born. I quickly snipped our daughter's cord and then our son's just a few minutes later.

Carlisle was right; they were both healthy and completely fine. Our little Carlie had dark hair like her mommy and little Charlie was sporting a healthy head of reddish peach fuzz, taking after me.

They were perfect.

We were home a few days later and I watched with awe as my Bella nursed our children. I didn't think her breasts could get any bigger, but I was wrong. Not that I was complaining mind you.

"You know of course that once we're done having kids, I'm going to have to get these worked on," she said noticing my fixation on her cleavage.

"Only if you want to, Love. To me, you'll always look perfect just how you are, stretch marks, saggy boobs, and all. And when the time comes, I'll even cherish every gray hair on your head. You're mine and I love you, Bella. Besides, who's to say time isn't going to wreak havoc on me? I may turn out bald, fat, and have my boys hanging down to my knees when it's all said and done," I teased trying to lighten her mood. "You'll always be my beautiful girl."

"The same goes for you, my sweet boy. I would never want you to change. To me, you're always going to be beautiful, Edward. Even with gray hair, saggy nads, and a bald head, you'll still own my heart. "

I kissed my girl, more in love with her than ever. She was my life now, my wife, and my whole world. Thanks to my beautiful girl, my once-troubled life was turning out pretty perfect indeed.

**THE END!**

**A/N Well, chickens, it's been fun. Put me on author alert as I already have more stories in the works. I'm just trying to figure out which one I want to post next. You don't want to miss them!**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


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